New York City is a clichéd phenomenon. It is one of the ultimate tourist attractions that is known for its “big lights” and “big opportunities.” It’s full of massive buildings and massive amounts of people, people that are all exotically distinct and unique.

Some people are dancing on the street corner, waving a bag full of change. Some are dressed up as cartoon characters and forcefully hugging you. Some are sprinting towards the A train in hopes of not being late to work. Some accepted they are already going to be late to work and decided to make the line at Carlo’s Bakery Café anyways. New York City or as New Jersey residents like myself call it, “the city,” is filled with an array of different kinds of people with different dreams and different backgrounds. It’s a place where a person can never get bored because there is so much going on all at once. There is always a place for you in the city; you just have to be willing to find it.

I could never live far away from my beloved New York City. Ever since I was little, I would look out of the window of my childhood room in my suburban household in New Jersey and see the silhouette of a tiny family of skyscrapers. They would be peeking over a field of trees in the distance. Every night before I would go to bed I would stare out of my bedroom window, staring at the twinkling bright lights of that “big city” I claimed to adore. I would gaze at the attractive mix of buildings and lights and desire to be there. I would instantly begin to ponder over my hopes and dreams.

For some strange reason, I felt like all of my aspirations were inside that lit up skyline. Every time I would explore the city with my family, especially the mainstream plethora of lights that is Times Square, I would feel completely mesmerized. I wouldn’t be mesmerized by one particular aspect of the city, but instead, I would feel captivated by the city in its entirety.

I don’t have to be doing something important like standing on the prestigious “red steps” or watching a famous Broadway show. I simply like the act of “just being there.” I want to just be in the city and that feeling has never changed.

Every time I go to the city I like simply being there, looking around, and “taking it all in.” I like to take in all the people, lights, buildings, and attractions. I strangely like to take it all the different smells such as the stench of the sewers or smoke from the hot dog stands. I like bumping into all different kinds of races and ethnicities. I like to see the diverse culture that the city consists of. I like to take in the fact that I belong here and nowhere else.

I feel like I belong in the city. I feel like every day in the city will be filled with exciting adventures and new experiences. Even though I am a true Jersey girl, I want to establish my identity as a true New Yorker. I want to know the train systems like the back of my hand, work in a big fancy building that lights up at night, and have another little girl with big dreams gaze up at my office building through her window before falling asleep. I want to be in the city because it makes me feel like I can do anything. The city is like a giant bucket full of people’s dreams including mine. It’s a place where people can be who they are and relentlessly strive for their goals. It’s a place where people like my parents immigrate to in order to become successful and feel important. It’s a place that my parents got to call home and that I aspire to call home as well. It’s a place where for some peculiar reason, I feel like anything is possible. And, everyone must live in that place that makes them feel at home. Even if it seems stupidly optimistic, all people need to live somewhere where they feel like they’re at home. Even when seeing that naked guy with the cowboy hat makes you feel slightly uncomfortable, you’ll still feel at home. At least if you aspire to be a real city girl like me!