Dear New York

onwards and upwards. 

It’s about two weeks away now. Or rather I’m about two weeks away now. I’m getting anxious. Nervous. I haven’t done this in three years. Moved across an ocean.

Certain aspects do not seem real yet. Is this really goodbye? Am I really not coming back to London? The answer is yes. I am choosing you, New York. You, a place I have never visited for longer than a week. You, a place I haven’t even been to in a year and a half.

From the outside, it looks like I am keen for adventure. I’m 24, and this will be my second continental move, the third country I have lived in and the fourth major city settled in since adulthood. The sports I enjoy — rock climbing, white water kayaking — are typically associated with adrenaline.

But, here is the thing. The risks are known, and I can compile the information and make choices based on those inputs.

Challenging? Definitely. Uncomfortable? Yes. Scary? No.

It’s not scary when you can make the projections with a certain degree of confidence. That is what you are, New York. You are not a gamble or a test. You are simply, without a doubt, the best place for me to be at this time.*

Compared to three years ago, I know better who I am, what I want, how to live, what to avoid. I know how to set myself up, and I have a support system in place already to help me do so. More importantly, you have the infrastructure I require. You have so much going on, and offer so many opportunities to make a difference. To build something — personally and professionally.

See you soon.

Yes, I did just describe a decision tree. And yes, my mind worked like that before business school (but, I didn’t have the corporate speak to explain it).