Living in New York City is HARD, there’s no two ways about it. It takes a mental, physical and emotional effort just to go about your daily life that is unlike anywhere else. Once you’ve lived here a while you adjust and it somewhat becomes second nature but the extra effort is always there just below the surface.

The best remedy for the toll all that extra work takes is to get out of the city as often as possible. It’s like taking a cool shower on a hot summer day. The city begins to wash off you as soon as you cross one of the bridges or the landing gear on your plane is retracted. Your whole being starts a long slow exhale.

You begin to feel the full effects of the respite when you wake up the next morning in a different place. The most obvious benefit is the adjustment your brain makes to the slower pace of life. It’s a cliche that NYC is all rush rush rush but behind every cliche is a kernel of truth. Life in NYC is on GO from the minute you wake up until your head hits that pillow. Sometimes it even interrupts your sleep. It’s the mental equivalent of losing ten pounds when you get a break from that.

However, I wouldn’t trade the experience of living here for anything in spite of the difficulties. NYC may be hard but it’s also a city of great rewards and constant surprises. It’s forced me to grow as a person in ways I never would have in my home state of Texas. Most of it for the better, although I’m still trying to improve on my walking version of road rage. “It’s a sideWALK not a sideSTAND people!!” Who said that?

As much as I appreciate the break I get from a trip outside the city, I enjoy returning even more. One of my all time favorite NYC experiences is the cab ride home from the airport after being away. The view of the city from the BQE always moves me. It’s the feeling of coming home and I love it.

Ps. I’ll be here for the next few days. Pics when I get back.

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