For someone who has only been to New York for three days, once in their life, I have never wanted to live somewhere more. I could name a million reasons as to why the Big Apple is calling me, but here are 42 you can sink your teeth into.

1. The thousands upon millions of unique and odd people bustling through the nooks and crannies of the concrete jungle.
2. The shift into the urban cacophony of “city” life, after spending my adolescence in a small town
3. An everything bagel smothered with cream cheese
4. Finding a restaurant that serves the bombest veggie lo mein and other Americanized Chinese food. (I will eat spring rolls until I die).
5. Constantly being a little scared in Chinatown but still somehow flattered when they offer me an authentic NichaelXors purse.
6. Discovering the inherent and beautiful culture, past the horrible Elvis impersonator in Times Square
7. Seeing all the architectural feats and misfires that overlook the engrossed sidewalks
8. All the art
9. Oh and the art museums
10. And let’s not forget being surrounded by artists
11. Inhaling a $1 pizza with my favorite people in the world at 2:32 a.m.
12. The constant surrounding of theater and live performance that is enough to make this little Broadway nerd cry
13. Unearthing the actual best coffee in all of New York. And drinking that ish day in and day out.
14. Broadway Street’s 40 theaters: Big and small. Comedies and dramas. Musicals and plays. All of them unique. All of them stunning.
15. Being broke, because you have to experience this at least once in your life!
16. Actually becoming a stereotypical New York waiter that is actually an out of work starving artist.
17. Sharing the hunger for fame with a whole city.
18. Becoming enthralled with the music, because, let’s face it, everyone there is pretty dang talented
19. The nightlife of the city that never sleeps
20. That feeling when you see that unending, breathtaking skyline can happen every. Day.
21. As an avid Project Runway fan, seeing all dat inspired fashion would make Tim Gunn proud.
22. Having endless opportunity to do anything. Literally anything. Like becoming a witch, touring a dead person museum, or taking up Jiu Jitsu
23. Feeling the pace of the city equivalent to a humming bird’s heartbeat. (Real fast).
24. There will always be a new show to see
25. The constant shopping for things I definitely do not have the money for and don’t need
26. The glow of Times Square that I know will always feel better than that yellow thing floating in the sky.
27. Passion is excreting out of everyone who steps foot in Manhattan.
28. Never eating at another chain restaurant for as long as I’m there. Except for midnight Mickey D’s of course.
29. Feeling the rush of performing unceasingly. A.K.A. heaven on earth.
30. Living vicariously through the cast of Saturday Night Live
31. Rooftops, oh rooftops.
32. Seeing everyone from nudists to evangelicals on the subway.
33. The sound; it is forever loud and the jackhammering of noise in your ears is better than any symphony.
34. Being out and away by literal and metaphorical miles from where I am now. Snaps to that.
35. The mess and wonder of off-- off-- off-- Broadway
36. Some people there are blatantly mean. but, this will be a learning experience. It will be toughening. Imma grow from this. You is smart. You is kind. You is important.
37. An explosion of street art
38. New York’s aromas of greasy humans and repulsing trash will give me a brand new change of smell. Yay!
39. Taking up a new language will be easy once I master the “Hey, I’m walkin’ here”, I am sure the rest will follow
40. Finding all the cute lil animals that roam the streets like dogs in sweater, a diseased pigeon or a sewer rat!
41. Knowing, in the back of my head, it can all be temporary. New York doesn’t have to be a forever.
42. Waking up one day and realizing you know what it is like to not be a tourist. You are now the person that other idealists look to for inspiration. Congratulations, you are a New Yorker.