• Home
  • About
    • Work with Me
  • Travel Planning & Itineraries
  • Destinations
    • England
    • France
    • Italy
    • Scotland
    • United States
    • Wales
  • Mental Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Bloglovin
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
Life Well Wandered

Life Well Wandered

26 June 2017 · 2 Comments

One Year in NYC: Looking Back and Looking Forward

Lifestyle· NYC

Share this post:

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on Pinterest Share on LinkedIn Share on Email

Just over one year ago, I moved to New York City. Crazy, right?! I can hardly believe it myself. This marks the longest I’ve lived in one place since I finished high school. After I graduated, I went to Davidson, but it was that weird limbo where you live there for the school year and then go home for breaks. Then I lived in Paris, then in London. Then back in Davidson for one more school year. After graduation, I moved

This marks the longest I’ve lived in one place since I finished high school. After I graduated, I went to Davidson, but it was that weird limbo where you live there for the school year and then go home for breaks. Then I lived in Paris, then in London. Then back in Davidson for one more school year.

After graduation, I moved to NYC for a six-month internship at the UN, hoping deep down that I would find a job after so that I could stay. As great as college was and all that moving around, I felt the need to stay in one place, for a little while at least.

Now, I’m not ready to settle down or anything. I still want to see more of the world and would love to live in other places (anybody got any European visa connections?).

But I just needed a break from living in limbo. I like stability in life and it finally feels good to be in one place for a  year without feeling like I’m packing up to move home for the summer or packing for 10 months in Europe or packing for school. It’s good for me to have certainty in my life and I’m so happy that certainty means I get to be in NYC.

I honestly can’t believe I’ve been in NYC for a year. It’s been quite the whirlwind. Surreal, even.

I’ve met some amazing people.

I met people from all around the world at the UN. I met some celebrities and world leaders too. At my current job, I’ve met some great NYC natives, which is great too. 

I’ve had some amazing food.

Only in such a large city can you have world class Turkish food one meal and incredibly delicious Indian food the next, followed by the best Korean food after. It’s like a dream come true!

I’ve seen some really cool sights.

There’s nothing better than seeing New York City from above.

See also  Gallery Hopping in Chelsea

I’ve walked thousands of miles.

As a wanderer, I’m drawn to places where I can get around by walking. New York City is perfect for that. I’ve wandered miles upon miles and always find new spots.

I’ve worked two amazing jobs.

I love this city. I love it because it’s so anonymous. When I go somewhere, I won’t be approached by a friend of my grandmother’s who met me when I was a baby and assumes that I’ll know them. I can travel mere miles and be confronted by a completely different atmosphere. I can see snow in the winter and not (completely) die from heat in the summer. I can go long periods of time without driving (it’s been over a year!) because it makes me really anxious.

So, for right now, I am really happy to be living in NYC. While it is lonely at times (so few of my friends live here), it is nice to have a place to call home for awhile without having one foot out the door.

You may also like

Share this post:

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on Pinterest Share on LinkedIn Share on Email
Previous Post: « Rainy Day Wanderings: AKA How I Got Bryant Park to Myself
Next Post: Hiking Pinatubo: Exploring History and Untouched Nature »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Patricia Arduengo says

    27 June 2017 at 09:41

    Alex, can’t believe it has been a year in NYC. I can relate to staying in a place a “little while”, but I so look forward to your blog and posts and I will welcome a new adventure from you. I’m headed west in August and can only hope to master pic taking, yours are always spectacular.

    Reply
    • almathews says

      27 June 2017 at 18:18

      I can’t believe it’s been a year either! It’s unbelievable. I’ve got one trip planned for this summer and hopefully a big one coming in the fall! I can’t wait to see your trip out west–you’ve seen so many beautiful places I dream of seeing one day :)

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Welcome to Life Well Wandered

alex life well wandered

Welcome to my corner of the internet! Life Well Wandered is a travel blog where you'll find a little bit of everything. I love sharing itineraries from past trips, secret spots I've discovered on my travels, histories of places I find fascinating, and stories about my mental health.

  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
Life Well Wandered

Search

What’s New

  • A Guide to Stow-on-the-Wold in the Cotswolds
  • The Real-Life Inspiration for Moria? Exploring St. Edward’s Church in Stow-on-the-Wold
  • A Lord of the Rings Guide to the Cotswolds: Places That Inspired Tolkien’s World
  • Day Trips from London: Stonehenge & Salisbury
  • Visiting Upper Slaughter in the Cotswolds: A Guide
Follow
college tourist

Note: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Please check our disclosure page for more information.

lifewellwandered

My favorite stop in Bruges was City Hall. Built in My favorite stop in Bruges was City Hall. Built in 1376, it is one of the oldest in the Low Countries and has been used as the seat of the city government for over 600 years. 🤓
Inside City Hall is the beautiful gothic hall. It was remodeled in the 19th century and decorated with beautiful murals and woodwork from floor to ceiling. The ceiling dates from 1385. The murals were painted in the 19th century and depict different people from Belgian history, including Jan Van Eyck, Brueghel, Rubens, and more. 😍 #lifewellwandered
If you fancy climbing up about 400 steps in a spir If you fancy climbing up about 400 steps in a spiral staircase, then consider visiting the Belfry in Bruges. From the top, you'll see just how beautiful Bruges is, with its winding streets and orange rooftops. 😍
Dating back to the 13th century, the Belfry is the most important tower in Bruges. At over 83 meters (272 feet) tall, it was an important status symbol in the Middle Ages. It formerly housed the treasury and city archives, as well as a market for the town. 🏰
At the top of the tower, you'll find a carillon—47 bells playable by hand with a keyboard—with bells ranging in weight from two pounds to 11,000 pounds. Historically, the bells were used not only to mark the passage of time but also to alert residents of fires, work hours, or important events. Today, if you visit at the top of the hour, you'll get to experience the ringing of the bells. 🛎 #lifewellwandered
In March of 2015, I began my biggest trip around E In March of 2015, I began my biggest trip around Europe to date. We had about 5 weeks off (during which we were supposed to be revising for exams) so my friend and I took the opportunity to see as much of Europe as possible while also getting to know each stop as well as possible. A hard balance to strike, but we did the best we could! 🇪🇺
Our first stop was Bruges. We visited on the day of a solar eclipse, but it was already cloudy and foggy so the lack of sunlight wasn’t noticed. We spent our day in Bruges wandering around the streets and eating waffles - not a bad start to a trip around Europe that would be characterized by eating and wandering! 🍽 #lifewellwandered
The last stop on my series of day trips around Eng The last stop on my series of day trips around England was Windsor. I had been close to Windsor once before but had yet to visit Windsor Castle or the town. Windsor Castle was overwhelming. 🏰
It is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world, founded by William the Conqueror and the home of 39 monarchs. We spent hours walking around the various wings and exhibits, trying to absorb everything we could. Have you visited Windsor Castle before? 👑 #lifewellwandered
Bath is most famous for, well, its Roman baths. As Bath is most famous for, well, its Roman baths. As a Roman history nerd, Bath was on my to-visit list for ages and I spent my entire visit to the baths geeking out over all of the artifacts and ruins. 🤓
For thousands of years, 240,000 gallons of 115ºF water has risen into this spring, known as the Sacred Spring, daily. In Roman times, this phenomenon was believed to be the work of the Gods, so Romans built a temple dedicated to the goddess Sulis Minerva, a deity with healing powers, around the spring. Water from it feeds the Roman baths. 🛁 #lifewellwandered
Three churches have occupied the site of Bath Abbe Three churches have occupied the site of Bath Abbey since 757AD. There was first an Anglo-Saxon monastery, then a massive Norman cathedral (the foundations of which can be seen underground in one part of the Abbey) and then the present abbey church from the 1600s. ⛪️
The first King of England, King Edgar, was crowned here in 973 - his coronation set the precedent for the current coronation ceremony of all kings and queens of England. 👑 #lifewellwandered
I visited Winchester on what felt like the first w I visited Winchester on what felt like the first warm, sunny day in months. When you live in a place without regular sun, you always take advantage of beautiful days. Winchester made the perfect destination for a beautiful day spent walking around and exploring. 🤗
Winchester’s High Street is built along the original Roman street that led through the town. Today, it has buildings dating from the 16th century. The clock was presented after a visit from Queen Anne in 1713. 🕑 #lifewellwandered
Chances are, you’ve heard of the Knights of the Chances are, you’ve heard of the Knights of the Round Table. Did you know that the Round Table of King Arthur can be found in the Great Hall in Winchester? ⚔️
While this table was created around 1290, well after the death of King Arthur and his knights, it’s still impressive to visit. Weighing over one ton, it is thought to portray King Arthur on his throne surrounded by 24 places for his knights. King Henry VIII added a Tudor Rose during his reign. Swipe for a closer look at the table! 🤓 #lifewellwandered
In another edition of always visit the cathedral i In another edition of always visit the cathedral in the town you visit, I bring you Winchester Cathedral. One of the reasons why I chose to visit Winchester of all places was its connection to Jane Austen. Jane Austen spent the last weeks of her life in a house in Winchester and was laid to rest in its cathedral in 1817. ⛪️
Have you ever traveled somewhere because of a favorite author? 🤓 #lifewellwandered
Load More... Follow on Instagram
  • Home
  • About
  • Travel Planning & Itineraries
  • Destinations
  • Mental Health
  • Lifestyle

Copyright © 2023 · beloved theme by Restored 316