For a while, I strongly considered taking down my I'm Moving to NYC post -- not out of regret or spite or embarrassment because it didn't last, but mostly out of the plain fact that I settled into a small LES apartment for one month before deciding that NYC wasn't where I wanted to be at this moment in my life.

I guess, technically, I still did move to NYC. I came with three suitcases and the intention of finding a full-time job. But it became more of an extended stay after epiphanies during interviews and a lot of tears that I didn't want to commit to any of these companies and in retrospect I felt in general that I was moving away, not moving to. 

I'm going to break it down a little bit: I'm no stranger to packing up and starting somewhere new. I did it in high school (twice). I did it in college when I went to Paris for a semester and then Washington DC one year later. I packed up and crossed the Atlantic to settle in France for not one, but two separate years having to make new, separate groups of friends at the start of each Fall.  One consistency for me over the course of the past 12 years has been a disruption in consistency - a move, having to find a new group of friends, getting to know a new place or culture.

But for the first time in all of my moves, I felt more than ever that I was moving away from a life than moving to one. I'm a firm believer that places and experiences change a person, and I know Martha's Vineyard took a toll on me. I still believe that it was time for me to move on, but being in NYC has taught me that it's still an important and cherished part of my life that I don't want to give up. In the end, what I thought I hated about feeling isolated on MV has been two-fold in New York. Everywhere in NYC is accessible, but try to travel elsewhere and it will leave you stranded by Greyhound in the depths of Port Authority on multiple occasions. I kid you not.

It took me a little while (and a lot of tears) to admit to myself that after having moved here and starting to plant roots that it wasn't a life that I wanted. On top of that, it took me a long time to convince myself that not wanting to be somewhere isn't failing. It's just realizing what you want and making the necessary changes and having the necessary conversations to do something about it. New York is a fabulous, energetic, fascinating city full of opportunity, and at another point in my life I think I could have really enjoyed it. But it's not where I'm at and I'm confident on where I stand.

I will never argue someone who says that New York City is the best city in the world. It's magical and beautiful, it's disgusting and suffocating, it's full of opportunity, and it's a surefire dream crusher. But that's what makes it unique and what draws people in. 

So I re-considered and decided it was best to leave the original post up. After all, this is just a collection of the experiences I've had and the journey I'm on. I don't want to erase these three months in NYC because I learned a lot about myself and what I want out of life. I also had a lot of fun. Let's call it my quarter-life crisis. It's just another documented experience of trying to find out what's best for me at 25 years old. Cheers.

All that said, I'm thrilled and excited to have accepted a job at Creative Office Pavilion in Boston's Seaport District, where I will be strategizing and constructing inbound marketing initiatives for the company. It's another big change in a series of big changes in my life, but I'm all in for this one. Here's to new adventures and a continuing journey.

(but not without a few travels beforehand, of course...)

In the fall of 2017, I was hell-bent on moving back to Paris. Once winter set in, my eyes were set on Los Angeles. After a spring trip to Nashville, I considered starting a new life and career in Music City. In between all of these options, New York City sat quietly in the back of my mind.
 
I don’t see New York as the sparkly, shimmery, where-dreams-are-made-of city as I once did from the small, quiet Maine village I grew up in, but that doesn’t dull my love for the fast-paced, inspiring, and promising place I currently hope it will be. I’ve had weekends here and there discovering small sections of the city. I follow photographers and influencers as they document the streets and what’s trending, and I’m convinced that it’s the best next step in my career.
 
But as exciting as it is, it’s also bittersweet.
 
Much to the chagrin of many Islanders, I proudly claim that Martha’s Vineyard is my home. I grew up on the fun, packed little Island. No, I didn’t go through the school system. No, I didn’t step foot on the Island during the winter season until I was out of college. But the Island is home to all of my best childhood memories. It’s where my family gathered and bonded and we were taught the value of friendship, work ethic, and a whole lot of sunscreen.
 
I’m so proud to have worked at the Vineyard Gazette – first as a summer intern, followed by a Marketing and Events position created to fill a void the company realized it had upon my departure as an intern.  I’ll miss the loud hum of the Goss Printer as it prints the weekly paper, in which I can see the ads that I co-created with the production team. I’ll miss organizing the annual events that are no easy feat, but highly rewarding when attendees are seen with smiles on their faces or posing in front of a step & repeat. But, most of all, I’ll miss the people. When you live on an Island that is all but deserted in comparison to the in-season months, colleagues become friends become family.
 
I don’t yet have a new career lined up, but I’m hopeful and confident that with my experiences and skillset I will land a position at a company whose goals and mission I believe in. That values the same things I do. That encourages an environment where everyone can thrive and is always working to do better and be better. What will that be? We'll figure it out... it's about the journey, anyway, isn't it?
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