In the words of Michael Scott: New York, New York…a city so nice they named it twice.

Everyone wants to believe in a Romantic Manhattan, where Blair Waldorf sits on the steps of the Met, Woody Allen and Diane Keaton stroll around Central Park, and the traffic that hums to the beat of George Gershwin.

But at the same moment, there exists a Terrifying Manhattan- a city that is so grandiose that it can make you feel like an outcast, and a melting pot of culture that can leave you feeling swallowed up.

After spending my first week living in the city that never sleeps, I have arrived at the conclusion that my Romantic Manhattan and my Terrifying Manhattan are one in the same.

It’s incredibly easy to find yourself consumed in the small bubble that you inhabit, spending your days with people who look like you, speak the same language as you, and share the same views as you. Although what is familiar is cozy, the unfamiliar has made me feel welcomed and at home.

In my first week here, I have encountered fascinating characters from different cultures and continents. Every time I leave my room, I encounter different languages and foreign accents. Simply being around such a diverse community and getting to hear the fascinating perspectives of others makes you realize that the world is much bigger than your cozy zone of familiarity.

Some will warn that New York leaves you isolated and lonely, but I have not found this to be the case. Quite literally, we are so densely packed that you will never be alone.

Even from my bedroom, I can look out my window and see the lights of people carrying on with their lives in the apartment adjacent to mine. No matter what hour, I can look down and see taxis cruising down the street and people wandering on the sidewalks.

As I wander around on my own, the height of the buildings keep me company.

Although you may feel alone, you never have the luxury of being isolated.

I have also grown to find solace in knowing that in this current moment, my life is a small blip in the grand scheme of Manhattan. You are not the first one to inhabit your living space.

People have lived in your space before you, and people will live there after you. And more retrospectively, before your building was a residence hall, it had a rich history of being something else, like a hotel or an apartment complex. Almost everything around you is temporary in this moment of time.

For all the reasons that Manhattan can be intimidating, I have come to find that its caveats are what give the city its distinctive charm. I think everyone has their own ideal Romantic Manhattan and Terrifying Manhattan, and living here has confirmed that I am living in my own version of both.

Everyone's Romantic Manhattan is waiting for them, so long as you keep your mind open to it being unconventionally comforting. And before I get jaded and grow to get sick of the city- let me proudly proclaim: New York, I Love You.