I’ve got some BIG NEWS friends…
I’m leaving NYC and heading South in September! I’m moving to Austin, Texas y’all and couldn’t be happier!!
After a lot of conversations with my family, back and forth trips to Texas, and realizing what my heart and soul really needs, I decided that I want to move closer to loved ones and set up some Southern roots in sunny Austin, Texas.
I’ll be hitting my 2 year mark in New York City in August, my lease is also up in August, so it just felt like the perfect time to start a new chapter in my life. As much as I’ll miss living in New York, I have never felt so much peace before about such a big decision.
Living in New York has been the most incredible experience of my life thus far, but it wasn’t until this year that I began to realize that my heart was craving more, and that this fast paced concrete jungle often times became a little bit too much for me. Living in such a massive & crowded city would leave me feeling anxious, stressed, and even overwhelmed. There are so many stimulants in a city like New York that make you yearn for an escape… Crowded subways & streets, loud cars and taxis, never-ending sirens during the night, loud upstairs neighbors, angry pedestrians, and the list goes on and on…
Don’t get me wrong friends, there are many many things that I absolutely LOVE about New York as well… Being a 10 minute walk away from beautiful Central Park, the charming brownstones in the West Village, hidden cafes & quaint bookshops tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the city, incredible museums, gorgeous architecture, I could go on and on …. there are so many amazing things that New York has to offer and after having lived here I truly feel as though this city will forever be engraved in my soul.
But, with each trip back home to Texas that I was making, I began to ask myself questions. Upon arrival in Texas I instantly felt refreshed, renewed, more me than ever, and being surrounded by loved ones made my heart so happy. I began to wonder why I was living in New York, so far away from my community, and questioned whether or not my time in the city was done…
When I moved to New York, I moved with the intention to start over. To gain a new identity in a city that I had always dreamed of calling home. It was on my list of things that I promised myself I would do, and it was a dream that I wasn’t going to let slip away.
And you know what… I made it happen. I started over, I found myself, and I was able to call New York City home! I set up residence here on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Lived in a tiny studio apartment, learned how to navigate the subways, attended each Fashion Week, met with designers, visited showrooms, acquired new friends, and went on so many adventures that I will forever hold so close to my heart. But, as every good thing must come to an end… it’s now time for me to go, and it’s only goodbye for now Manhattan.
With my whole heart, I can happily say that not only did I find myself in New York, but through this experience I also found home. And that home is where it all started… back in Texas.
See you in September, Austin!
But until then, I’m still a New Yorker.
images via Camille Styles.
