And then they came to the end.
Or at least the start of a new chapter.
After 17 years of living in the city, it’s time to say goodbye. Andrew, Parker and I are moving to Connecticut.
It’s beyond bizarre to write those words. To imagine not living in a—this—city. To go from San Francisco to Manhattan to Paris to Brooklyn, and now… Connecticut.
But if there’s one thing 2020 has been good for, it’s evaluation. Covid, and the reality of living in a small space with no outdoor outlet, while all trying to get work and school done, accelerated a plan we had been hatching for years. That is: to eventually leave.
We figured one day we’d want more space and be ready to leave the city. We scoped out a town that felt like a good fit for us—a small coastal town that’s not a suburb, but is accessible enough to the city. We’ve been trolling real estate and going to open houses there for years. But throughout it all, we never felt ready to leave Brooklyn. We’ve had it so good here.
And then, 2020.
I know how lucky we are to have this option. That we can financially and professionally move. That there’s another place that speaks to us and feels like it will be a good home for us. That we managed to find a house, and sell our apartment, during a global pandemic and caustic political world. Beyond lucky.
And that is why I’m stepping into this new chapter with positivity, not regret. With hope, clarity and excitement. Even though I feel this city is such a big part of me, and part of me is bawling inside, it’s time to let some other environment shape me for a while. It’s time to (cough) let go of my youth and embrace a slower lifestyle. It will be interesting to be more inner focused, more family and home focused, than to always be looking outside the window to see what’s going on and what we should be doing.
I had a conversation with a friend who was talking about the new person she was becoming all the time. It was such a validating thought: move or no move, we go through chapters. We have different identities throughout life. What shapes and defines us ebbs and flows. We become new people. It’s a beautiful idea, really.
I know there is sadness and alienation ahead. Lord knows, there has been plenty of emotion these past few months. But here we are… leaving the city. Ready to become a new version of me.