The Final Countdown

June 17. Today I hung around recuperating after two very long days at work. I spent it in a coma like state in my bed until 1 pm. Then reunited myself with the couch until I decided it was necessary to get food. My friend arrives in the city on Saturday and I am so ready to go to restaurants and out in public in general without feeling like a local doing touristy things... without a visitor. While I have a few things to do before I have an out of towner, I still have a long list I want to complete before I bid this fair city "adeu." As I was telling work about leaving the other day, why I was leaving came up. More than once. I said I just didn't think it was for me so I'm going to try something else. I got a range of responses. From "well it took me a long time to get used to the city," to "man am I jealous. This city is a trap." After the conversations I am sure I have made the right decision. And after repeating what these people have said to me made me realize something. While this city maybe the greatest place in the world, it seems that most of the people here are either just settling, or are here because they know it is the greatest city in the world and thus justify staying or coming here. I came to New York with the full intention of staying. After about one hour I realized that was less and less likely of ever happening. Carrie Bradshaw is asked in Sex and the City "Why do we think this place is so great any way?" She responds with, "because it is." While I agree that it is a great city, it will be one that only visit from now on. I watched The Nanny Diaries the other day and Scarlet Johansen said this. "There's a common belief among anthropologists that you must immerse yourself in an unfamiliar world in order to truly understand your own." I believe this. I have learned a lot about myself from this trip. I also continue to hear from practical strangers that what I am doing is so amazing. It always seems to amaze me that the most obvious and trivial observations seem to be the most important yet the least considered. So thank you New York City for opening my eyes and giving me an experience I will never forget and a few more weeks to enjoy the greatest city in the world.