Minimalism and Meaning: My Month Long Adventure in NYC
I had a spring in my step walking down the streets of Manhattan in September 2018. My mind was churning with possibilities of how to craft my life.
After graduating in May, I took the summer to be with my family and get more technical. As a Product Manager, I sit at the intersection of technology and business, and a large part of my job demands that I communicate well between folks who are technical and non-technical. The way that I become more valuable is by having deeper technical knowledge.
Plus, building stuff with code is just plain fun. I simultaneously found myself becoming more curious about a life that didn’t demand me cramming the way I live into a typical 9–5 job. Caught up with my dreams of adventure, I decided that I needed to break from boring old Massachusetts.
After considering pros and cons of moving somewhere without a job, I threw sound logic out the window and decided to head to the Big Apple, a place with a thriving tech community. I learned a TON while I was there, including why it’s awesome for me to be back home. (Plot twist! I’m back in Boston now!)
So without further ado, some of my learnings:
I want to be rich — in experiences
While I was in New York, I spent my days outside of the house. Sometimes, being out simply involved me finding a coworking space that I had never been to, and working on my freelancing projects. Often, I would find a random tech or business meetup to attend afterwards. That’s where the magic happened. Connecting with others around my interests or some shared experience was awesome.
I’m super lucky that in my profession, all I need is a computer with internet connection and a text editor to do what I do. My stuff shouldn’t fail on me, so to that end, I’m willing to spend. But what I really like to invest in is experiences.
While I was in NY, I realized how awesome being minimal is, and how little I really need to survive. I realized that when I shed my possessions, I was also shedding the responsibility of looking over them. I could enjoy my life, living it with the things that were actually used.
I figured out what’s worth my dollar: travel, events, technology I need for work and most importantly, investments that enable me to connect with others. Speaking of connecting with others…
I can find my people
When I arrived in the city, I set off on a quest to find the right kind of people to surround me. I started by soul searching a little, and figuring out what I was into. It boiled down to a couple categories:
- Tech (particularly JavaScript development)
- Product Management
- Entrepreneurship
- Dancing (the kind where you can jam out)
- Positivity and Mindfulness
I started my search at meetup.com, and found a treasure trove of tech communities in NYC (and Boston). I started attending several events a week when I was done with my work.
I discovered that I connected with passionate creators who rally around communities. Some of these people were technical, and some were more on the business end of things. Others had totally different passions, which was awesome too. In all cases, I made new friends who I’d love to bump into again.
A few of my favorites:
Sooo why did I come back?
New York was an amazing experience. And it’s a city I love. I wouldn’t be surprised to find myself back there for a longer period of time sometime soon. But, for now, being in Boston and living at home is the best option for me. Here’s why.
For one, I realized that I didn’t need to be tied to a physical location to do what I do. Therefore, it didn’t make sense for me to be spending rent money. Secondly, my job has evolved into being a Product Manager for Glucose Trail, a global diabetes medicine solution started by my parents. On the day to day, I’m involved in building the second version of our app, as well as helping with early growth. It helps tremendously that I’m home to work with my parents on a day to day basis, instead of constantly conference calling in.
I also realized what I needed to learn. After meeting many developers in NYC, I’ve crafted a curriculum for myself to follow in order to level up my skills. Living and working at home, I can use my daily flexibility to enhance my learning and get better at what I do.
One of the biggest things I did, mentally, was shedding the fear of being judged for living at home and working with my parents. Before I left for NY, living at home and working on Glucose Trail full time didn’t feel like a viable option. Not because it was a bad job. It was because I felt that by taking a full-time-esque roll at Glucose Trail was basically me being sheltered by my parents. I wanted to make it by myself. After numerous discussions, I understand that I am making it by myself. This project has legs, and I want to be a part of it. I’m needed in the organization, and there are some seriously great things happening here. We’re building communities and eradicating disease. That’s exciting!
I’m embracing the unconventionality of my path, and the unpredictability of my future. Life is kinda crazy, but isn’t that the fun of it?
