I believe there is a quote that says it is only when you leave something that you want it more. I think that's the gist of the quote. This notion describes my relationship with the city that raised me: New York City.

Going through the college process, there were numerous questions to consider. Small or large school? Rural or metropolitan environment? Public or private? I went back and forth in my mind about the answers to those questions but I already decided one factor about where I would be going to school. I did not want to go to school in New York City.

I grew up here and had spent eighteen years growing with the city. I had managed to ride the subway by myself for the first time, navigate the touristy spots by myself and even get lost a couple of times. I learned all of the fast routes to get somewhere in record time, what train lines to avoid and what the best restaurants are. I know how to navigate life in the city so I needed to leave. I knew that if I stayed another four years I would most likely hate it and want to move away when I was older. I wouldn't view the city like other students from out of state would; with wide eyes and open minds. I wouldn't be fascinated by the rare small streets and the big towering buildings. I would be bored by it all and only view it as another four years of my continued education. I needed to see something new.

I'm now in school in a much more rural environment than I am used to and it's all new to me. I'm still adjusting to my new surroundings but I now have a greater appreciation for the city when I return each time. I miss the city enough that I will notice everything, even more, when I come back. I'll notice the constant loud sounds of the street, the smells, the subway, the street performers, the street food and the culture of New Yorkers who pass over 1,000 different people each day and don't stop to think about it.

I plan on moving back to the city once I've graduated college because I can't imagine living anywhere else. For now, I can live comfortably knowing we must be apart for a few more years before that can happen. New York, I love you and I think of you always.