wow. the first three paragraphs crystallized the exact thoughts and feelings i’ve been having for the past two years. i finally left nyc after a very unhappy short stint living there to go back to school in the southeast where i’m from. something i’ve been thinking about in addition to all these things is the desirability for coolness that living in a major city fulfills as it curates “cool” and countercultural events, people, and places all in one spot making it easy for anyone to access and capitalize on. i’ve sometimes felt that i’m missing out on said coolness but then i remember that it’s cooler to me to discover those things in unlikely places and contribute to the culture of rural america by building my own community, showing my creative work, hosting my own events etc.
I think we’re also at a stage in cities where what’s considered “cool” is closely connected to what’s easily captured or translated for online audiences, which in turn dilutes the local culture. Boomer take, but I would’ve been much more inclined to stay in NYC pre-social media.
I loved reading these! As someone who also left New York for Portugal, I had no idea how much would come up around 'leaving' and how much my identity was tied to being a city person.
This was such a lovely read. I resonate with their stories so much! I also was trying to fit in a major city on the east coast while feeing super misaligned, and ended up in the mountains of Wyoming where I quickly met my partner 💗 neverrr going back to the city
amen to this. i went on a solo camper van trip across america for 8 weeks last aug-oct (wyoming, colorado, utah, and arizona) and met my soulmate. we are now on another trip in our camper van with our husky for 3 months through oregon, washington, vancouver, montana, wyoming, + colorado through september.
i technically live in LA, but i won't be too far behind these three.
Would love to see a series from people further along in their journey! It takes at least two years to settle in to a new place, and the sheen will wear off of the "country" (tho would not call any of these places that, personally) life too. The phrase geographic cure comes to mind, and it would be nice to hear reflections from someone on the other side of the infatuation stage
The focus in this series was on recent transplants as I wanted to capture the decision-making process for those who were close enough to remember it vividly. As someone who can struggle with indecision + overthinking, I found it refreshing to hear the stories of people who chose to take decisive action in their lives, with the full understanding that we are agentic beings who can always make future changes. I know many of my readers feel the same.
If you’d like to contribute to a future edition, feel free to message me.
(And noted re: country, a term that I admittedly used a bit loosely ;))
Dang, that’s helpful to hear! Thanks for clarifying. For me, it can take a while to understand big life decisions, which might explain my skepticism. I appreciate your response and see the value of reflecting while still close to / amidst the change too
oh goodness, i loved this so much. i currently live in Rome, and there are so many beautiful things about it—and as i begin to make decisions as to what comes next, the wise words of these women are simple truths that will tether me. thank you for a lovely roundup <3
Loved every single story. You don't know how much I needed to read this, thank you!
❤️❤️
Was loving this post from the jump and then saw Jenny!!!! <3
Omg love this sm!! Living vicariously lol
wow. the first three paragraphs crystallized the exact thoughts and feelings i’ve been having for the past two years. i finally left nyc after a very unhappy short stint living there to go back to school in the southeast where i’m from. something i’ve been thinking about in addition to all these things is the desirability for coolness that living in a major city fulfills as it curates “cool” and countercultural events, people, and places all in one spot making it easy for anyone to access and capitalize on. i’ve sometimes felt that i’m missing out on said coolness but then i remember that it’s cooler to me to discover those things in unlikely places and contribute to the culture of rural america by building my own community, showing my creative work, hosting my own events etc.
thanks for this piece. <3
This is so real. Thank you for sharing <3
I think we’re also at a stage in cities where what’s considered “cool” is closely connected to what’s easily captured or translated for online audiences, which in turn dilutes the local culture. Boomer take, but I would’ve been much more inclined to stay in NYC pre-social media.
I loved reading these! As someone who also left New York for Portugal, I had no idea how much would come up around 'leaving' and how much my identity was tied to being a city person.
incredible. loved reading these <3
This was such a lovely read. I resonate with their stories so much! I also was trying to fit in a major city on the east coast while feeing super misaligned, and ended up in the mountains of Wyoming where I quickly met my partner 💗 neverrr going back to the city
amen to this. i went on a solo camper van trip across america for 8 weeks last aug-oct (wyoming, colorado, utah, and arizona) and met my soulmate. we are now on another trip in our camper van with our husky for 3 months through oregon, washington, vancouver, montana, wyoming, + colorado through september.
i technically live in LA, but i won't be too far behind these three.
Absolutely adore this <33
<3
Would love to see a series from people further along in their journey! It takes at least two years to settle in to a new place, and the sheen will wear off of the "country" (tho would not call any of these places that, personally) life too. The phrase geographic cure comes to mind, and it would be nice to hear reflections from someone on the other side of the infatuation stage
Thank you for commenting!
The focus in this series was on recent transplants as I wanted to capture the decision-making process for those who were close enough to remember it vividly. As someone who can struggle with indecision + overthinking, I found it refreshing to hear the stories of people who chose to take decisive action in their lives, with the full understanding that we are agentic beings who can always make future changes. I know many of my readers feel the same.
If you’d like to contribute to a future edition, feel free to message me.
(And noted re: country, a term that I admittedly used a bit loosely ;))
Dang, that’s helpful to hear! Thanks for clarifying. For me, it can take a while to understand big life decisions, which might explain my skepticism. I appreciate your response and see the value of reflecting while still close to / amidst the change too
oh goodness, i loved this so much. i currently live in Rome, and there are so many beautiful things about it—and as i begin to make decisions as to what comes next, the wise words of these women are simple truths that will tether me. thank you for a lovely roundup <3
@livlowell 🌞🌱🥹