Making That Move
My journey from AZ to NY.
A huge part of moving somewhere is being mentally prepared to settle into a new environment. I’ve been mentally prepared to move to New York since I was seven. I have family on the East Coast and always loved visiting because, in my mind, it was the opposite of Suburbia, Arizona, where I had lived my entire life. I’m not being dramatic. I was born in December of ‘95 and the house that I grew up in, and still visit my parents at often, we moved into in February of ‘96.
Even with all the uncertainty life throws at us, my one solid plan for the future was to move to New York. One of the best feelings I’ve experienced was booking my one-way ticket to the East Coast. One of the overwhelming questions you get asked when you graduate college is, “What’s next?” When it was my turn to get bombarded with the dreaded Q, I always answered, “Headed to New York August 16th.” And the response--9 times out of 10--would be, “Oh, you’re actually doing that?” I was confused, my pride a little hurt. I’ve only ever been talking about this move my entire life. Why was everyone so shocked?
The following are Instagram caption options I brainstormed for when I posted an “I moved to New York City” ‘gram:
When you’ve always wanted to move to NY, so one day you just do it.
When you take a pic on a stoop, but it’s your stoop.
This one’s for all my #haters.
Medium Cactus to Big Apple
Suburban gal takes on the big city.
One of the majors I declared in college was Film Production, which also worked into my dream of wanting to move to NYC, because the two major hubs of the film biz are NYC and LA. Many people I’ve worked with over the past few years have asked me, “Why did you move to NYC, when LA is so close to AZ?” And my short answer is always, “Because LA is so close to AZ.”
An unexpected bonus from moving is that I now have a newfound appreciation for Arizona and my hometown. Of course, I love visiting my parents and my brother’s family, which includes my 11-years-older twin brother, the best sister-in-law, and the cutest niece and nephew in the world (sorry every other aunt and uncle, these kiddos really are the best). Also-- Arizona has the best Mexican food. I’m salivating just thinking about a Los Favoritos bean and cheese burrito smothered in the perfect ratio of their green and red sauces. I have yet to find a Mexican restaurant in New York that doesn’t pale in comparison. I’m open to recommendations, but - full disclosure - if I ever see black beans on a plate, I don’t fully trust them. It should be the mushiest, warmest pile of refried beans under a blanket of melted cheese. Now when I’m in Arizona, it’s a great time and I cherish every moment with my family.
Arizona is a beautiful state with a lot of redeeming qualities, but let’s get real - it’s not often on the right side of history. It was hard growing up in a state that generally doesn’t align with my personal or political beliefs. A sixteen-year-old at my high school had a giant confederate flag attached to his pickup truck with monster tires - hard yikes. And he was not the only one who proudly displayed his discriminatory views. So other than my loving family, Arizona mainly reminds me why I had the desire to leave and solidifies my move across the country. Even through hard times in New York - rough winter storms, disgustingly long hours at work, absurd construction at 9am on a Saturday - I know I’m happiest here.
I’ve always been fascinated with NYC and the privilege to choose to be completely alone while surrounded by eight million people. You can plop yourself down in Prospect Park and read all day or start your day with bagels in Chelsea with your work wife, then go thrifting in Williamsburg and eat bomb pizza with your roommates, and cap your night at a dive bar on the Lower East Side with your sweetie - because there’s always something going on every day of the week. A friend I made shortly after moving here taught me that you can google three random words and find an event in NYC. Glitter Unicorn Rave--oh sweet Thursday night at 10pm.
My brief guide to apartment hunting in New York City:
It can get expensive, especially with the whole price-for-size issue in Manhattan, so don’t limit your search to ~the island.~
Websites like StreetEasy are a great way to plug in everything that’s a priority (i.e. must be across from a Starbucks or handle fostering three cats) and assess if you can actually see yourself living there.
If you’re relying on the subway to get around - which who isn't, no one wants to deal with parking in the city - do your research to make sure there’s a station walking distance from your place and explore where that line will take you.
Apartment shopping doesn’t really matter until you’re a month or two away from moving because places come and go in a snap. There’s nothing worse than becoming emotionally attached to your dream apartment in Clinton Hill and then having it snatched away because it was available for March 1st, but you weren’t moving until July 1st.
When you do land a place, save them RECEIPTS, as well as all documents. You will always need them. Our landlord sold our building three months after we moved in, and when it was time for us to move out, our new landlord didn’t have our pet deposit or last months rent from the old landlord - he knew nothing about it. Thankfully we had our receipts and were able to get everything straightened out. Another lesson from this, chat with your new landlord as soon as you get their contact information and make sure everyone’s clear on payments already made. WHEW.
I will admit, I was really lucky to have a great support system moving out here. In college, my dad would always start sentences with, “When you move to New York.” It was such a minuscule detail, but inherently let me know he believed in me. My mother, who would genuinely prefer my brothers and I to live under her roof forever, would always ask me about my apartment hunting, how work was going, and email me restaurants to try in the city. I was even luckier that I was able to wear down my best friend – since way back when Kesha’s “Tik Tok” released – to move with me. Due to the combination of me pestering her every day and her eagerness for her next bold adventure, one day she decided, “Why not!” Even my boyfriend, whom I met working at a summer camp during college, made the decision to move somewhere completely out of his comfort zone and live a life he never imagined. Adjusting to New York is hard. I’m really lucky that my best friend and boyfriend moved with me. They’re my piece of home, they keep me sane and grounded.
Everyone’s journey in life is different, so leaving your quiet hometown for a loud and stinky city might not be your Will Forte, but I challenge you to pop your safety bubble and live somewhere new. No matter where you end up, it’s important to take risks, even if only for a short amount of time. Whether you study abroad for six months, take a year-long job in Chicago, or pack up and move across the country forever. It’s the best learning experience, acclimating to an unfamiliar environment. Maybe you get there and decide, “Nah, this isn’t for me, I miss my usual spots.” Or you adapt. You realize, “I love my old spots, but I can’t imagine leaving behind the spinach dumplings from Xi’an Famous Foods or Kind Regard’s Spicy Paloma cocktail.” Abandoning what’s comfortable and learning how to live in a new environment builds character and expands your worldview. You may land your dream job, you may make new friends who become family, you may fall in - and out and then back in - love, or you may just find the best veggie pho in the world.
