Officially a New Yorker!

Hello, New York, New York!

After living in Boston for literally less than five months, I moved to New York. Boston is an absolutely wonderful city, and it was a great place to start the first (albeit short) chapter of my post-grad life. However, moving to New York was a change I knew I had to make for personal and professional reasons.

Most consulting engagements require being at the client site Monday-Thursday, but I was working on two projects in NYC from Monday to Friday, so “living” in Boston made no sense — and by “living,” I mean flying into Boston around 10 or 11pm on Friday night, sleeping in/packing on Saturday, only to fly back to New York on Sunday afternoon, which was starting to affect my health as well. Also, most of my professional network and everyone I want to meet is in NYC, so overall, it was a better decision for my career.

Another big motivator for my move to NYC was loneliness. I have no personal connection to Boston whatsoever, since I did not grow up or attend school in the area. When I met up with friends in NYC after work, I was reminded of the importance of being physically close to your loved ones. It truly makes a huge difference on one’s happiness and mental health.

What I thought was the most interesting about my nomadic experience was how much I was craving an emotional connection to a place at the end of the day. I was barely at my studio in Boston, so it never felt warm or “inviting” when I came back on Friday nights. Even when I was at the hotel, I wasn’t able to truly relax because at the back of my mind were thoughts like, “I have to get XYZ things done before late check out on Friday…” 

Being in NYC gives me more freedom, time, and flexibility to invest in my personal life and career. Thank you to my wonderful friends who encouraged me to make this decision while also providing emotional support as I adjusted to my career.

Most importantly, thank you SO much to everyone in Boston who made my transition to the real world a smooth one. As happy as I am to start the next chapter of my life in New York, I want to thank you for understanding and empathizing with my tough social circumstances and including me in your tight-knit Boston community. No words could ever suffice in expressing my appreciation to you all.