I have met a lot of people who are New Yorkers and who have been New Yorkers for life.  I’ve also met a fair amount of people who came here from someone else.  Most of those people that I’ve met have been here for a number of years.

I know someone who has lived in Queens most of their life, with the exception of a year or so, when she lived in the city that I came from.  She told me she was miserable when she was in Colorado.  It was too quiet and she was very bored there.  I will admit that a life in Colorado may be a difficult adjustment for someone who’s lived in a large, metropolitan city.

NYC is her home.  She’s been here all of her life.  She’s used to apartment buildings, subways and buses, corner stores.  She’s used to a fast paced city where there are fashion shows, movies being filmed, Broadway and thousands of restaurants.

When she told me this, I had only been in the city for a few days and I thought I can definitely understand.  Colorado is a boring place.  I’m changing my mind on that one.  I didn’t realize this until I came here for school, but Colorado is my home.  I’m used to driving everywhere, being around a smaller number of people, and living in a house with a backyard.  I’m used to seeing the mountains.  I hated driving in the snow but that was part of life there.  There is no Broadway.  If the Lion King comes to town, it’ll be on the stage for one week only, not years.  The theaters are scattered throughout the metro area.  Fashion shows are held in the special events room at hotels and you won’t see very many movie crews out on the streets. (The news crew but not the movies).

I often ask myself why anyone would want to live in an apartment for their entire life.  I know the answer to that.  Home is what feels right and when something feels right, the logistics don’t matter.  For my friend, it doesn’t matter how many people are in NYC or whether she has to live in apartment building.  It’s her home.  To me, it doesn’t matter if there aren’t as many plays to go to, or if it just seems very quiet at times.  It’s my home.

I know a number of people who moved out of Colorado for one reason or another—to attend school, to work, for a change of scenery.  They all came back after a few years.  I never understood why any of them came back, until now.  This is the first time I have ever been away from home and it just doesn’t feel right.

I miss my family and my friends.  I miss my old way of life.  I left because I was bored and wanted to see something new.  NYC is definitely a great city to be if you’re a writer.  There are so many workshops and readings.  Every city is different and everyone’s idea of “home” is different.  I finally figured out what it means to be in a place that feels like home.