Cheating on New York

I have a habit of falling in love with places, especially New York City. I never can quite move on from that place. It is like having a never-ending string of lifelong affairs. Affairs with the skyline, the MET, its bagels, Hudson Yard, and Broadway. 

The first time I ever fell in love with New York was at the young age of six when I migrated to the United States from China. Thank goodness the city never sleeps because it was 4AM when I landed in JFK and took my very first step into the concrete jungle. 

Since then, my family has spent every Thanksgiving there. Having lived 7 years abroad in a small farming town in Guangzhou, China, my experiences in the Big Apple were very different from what I was used to and I adored it — 92 degrees in the subway stations and all. 

Moving around and exploring satiated me; creating a feeling of warmth and full-on glee. But I’ve been around New York long enough (long enough to see the rise and fall of Manhattan Chinatown at least) to know that the great thing about falling in love with a place is that you can “cheat” on a place without having to carry any guilt. 

One day when I’m lucky enough to travel to Tokyo, Greece, Singapore, and Switzerland, I know New York will not resent me. For now, as I board my plane to return home, it takes a great effort to buckle my seatbelt and apologize for leaving, but I know I will always steer back to this city.