7/16/2023
“New York City - this place sucks & I love it.” —NYC described in one sentence
New York City: the concrete jungle that never sleeps, the city of paradoxes. After staying a week to attend a wedding, I had my fill of the city—I have no idea how some people manage to live there year-round. Just the thought of driving in NYC would drive me insane.
You see life a bit differently while there; this is especially true depending on where you live. I tried to transform some specific personal realizations into general life lessons… or something. Honestly it’s probably just realization & advice rambling, but I guess that’s what blogs are all about.
New York City operates at a blistering pace, making it easy for time to slip away. Coming from the southern state of Florida only highlighted this difference in speed. The point is to realize how limited our time is — it’ll go by much faster than we realize.
Whether it's working towards personal goals or attempting to climb the corporate ladder, a year can pass in the blink of an eye. So use your time now as best as you can, hopefully aligning with your values. Realize that tomorrow never comes - it’s always today. If you want to do something in the future, you need to start working towards it today. Don't let procrastination become a habit — it'll only lead to regrets.
It may sound obvious that the surroundings we immerse ourselves in can influence how we act. I’m no different myself, acting differently while staying in the city. I cared more about dressing well, as not to be outmatched by the designer suits everywhere. I felt braver (or maybe more reckless) while traveling unknown city streets late at night. Pepper spray doesn't always beat a gun, but you have to overcome that anxiety if you want to explore the streets at night.
New York City is also abundant with ambition - it’s the home of Wall Street, after all. I found myself motivated when surrounded by (or at least appeared to be) successful people. Even more so when these people are around your age. Compare that to the slow state of Florida, where few venture outside due to suffocating temperatures & humidity. I hear Spanish more than English where I live. It's like night & day going from Florida to New York City.
This reminded me the significance of surrounding myself with what I aspire to be. In a city of ambition, a bit of "fake it 'till you make it" can make a big impact on my life. Everyone else is no different. We all have anxiety & fears that hinder what we actually want to accomplish. Just do it anyways — that becomes easier in the right environment.
A good public transportation system (like certain countries) is one solution to the ever increasing cost & traffic congestion of owning a vehicle. The freedom of anyone being able to go anywhere in the city cheaply & quickly cannot be underestimated.
But that’s once you get used to it. I often would get on the right subway line but the wrong direction. Why are they both labeled E lines? To discover which train you should board, you have to read its electronically displayed next major stop. The confusing aspect for newcomers (like me) is that this displayed stop rarely is your actual destination. I have no idea if The World Trade Center is a stop towards Hudson Yards or not. I would have to pull up Google Maps & see if the displayed stop was in the direction of mine. Is there a reason we can't distinguish the 50/50 and label the directions?
Once I had adapted to NYC’s public transportation system, it often felt faster & cheaper than driving to those same areas. Parking alone can be an expensive bitch, if you can even find a spot. God help you if you take a taxi — you’d better be into highly-aggressive driving.
Let me preface this by saying I realize that June is Pride Month. Everything in the city being rainbow isn’t discredited by the timing as it was also June in Florida, where I witnessed a distinct absence of rainbow-themed displays. If anything, the trip taking place in June only highlighted the difference in attitudes regarding stores commercializing LGBTQ support.
The sad reality is that once genuine celebrations have lost their meaning due to corporate involvement. Supporting most social movements is a safe bet for your company’s reputation. They only have to prominently display support for the month of June. The opposite choice, to disagree with the public consensus, is akin to suicide for many businesses. But the support no longer stands out if every store is also advertising support… for one month of the year. When the fad is over at the start of July, the vast majority of stores will revert back to what they're like the other 11 months of the year. It's just opportunistic support.
It's profitable to support causes like LGTBQ because advertisers can easily sell you a lifestyle. The belief a store cares about my personal struggles makes a big impact on those with said struggles. It’s similar to Andrew Tate’s “Man-O-Sphere”: I'll sell you the lifestyle you're looking for. There's never a better time than June to see the extent of its commercialization.