Dear New York, 

You were once a dream of a lively city, packed with the smell of fresh bagels, pizza, and lights all around me. 

You are an oasis of a city on a small island where anyone can be anything. 

You’re a place of dreams, a place to be who you want to be, and a plethora of diverse and unique people at every corner. 

Your parks lie within the heart of the city, bringing nature and sunshine to the hustle and bustle. 

Your quaint apartments are a writer’s or artist’s mansion to pursue and chase the dreams they have always held near and dear. 

The cabs honking and people rushing to get to their destinations are symphonies that fill the air. The sight of love is found in every corner of the avenues and everyone is a main character. 

With each person who walks by me, I take in that they are intricate human beings with complicated lives and who have experienced grief and happiness. Yet, you New York, hold thousands of these complex humans on a daily basis. 

With all the Manhattan moments I have yet to experience, you are a world between dreaming and living. A place where people crowd the streets and experience the beauty only you offer this world. 

In the city no one sleeps. I find you the most peaceful. A place where people can blossom into their true beings and a place to set their goals beyond the stars. 

You offer something new to always be discovered. Whether it’s a tiny bookstore to the Chrysler building, you help people find little adventures every day. 

One day I’m going to wake up not in tiny Ada, Michigan anymore, but instead find myself waking up to the sound of traffic beeping and people yelling and find myself living in a shoe box of an apartment yet I know I will never be happier. 

Sincerely, 

A wannabe New Yorker