Today is my three-year anniversary at the Monkey Firm.
Some of you know what this means. For the rest, I’ll enlighten. Three years was the benchmark I set for myself – the minimum sentence in my corporate cell*. I’ve put in my three years and now, I give myself full permission to leave.
Do I want to? Of course I do.
God (and anyone else who’s been listening) knows that I’ve had my sights set on the Big Bad City for ages now. I am, at heart, a New Yorker – just a New Yorker with a rather long commute. J used to say that he was afraid I’d go down for the weekend and never come back. Don’t think I wasn’t tempted.
Will I actually do it? That’s a horse of a different color.
A coworker of mine had this to say about my plan: “Why would you want to do that? So you can be one of the millions of lonely, unhappy women in the biggest, loneliest city? You’re doing well here. You wanna go there and get lost just like everyone else?” I called him a jackass and walked back to my office and thought, “He’s so right!”
And he’s not.
I’ve done it before, picked up everything and moved to a new city. Why can’t I do it again? Loneliness is hardly a matter of location. And as for doing well here? Sure. In three years at the Monkey Firm, I have been part of bringing in several million dollars in revenue. But, who’s to say I can’t do that elsewhere?
In three years I have also been responsible for kick-ass, morale-boosting efforts like, Margarita Friday, Surprise Popsicle Hour, and the infamous Halloween Extravaganza. I have been caught by the Director of Ops skate-boarding through the corridors on furniture dollies, hiding in the coat closet, sucking helium to sing Annie’s Song and doing a killer Mary Katherine Gallagher impression in the lobby.
I know I can do that anywhere. My quirkiness is totally portable.
But does New York really need any more nuts? Possibly not. But does this nut need New York? I do think so. But, she also needs a shot in the arm.
She’s not as brave as she used to be.
(*I say this tongue in cheek, as my “cell” is a windowed, corner office with a spectacular view, but we’re going for hyperbole here.)
Oooh, there's more people like me! The weird minimum commitment to the company, and wanting to leave parts, not the skateboarding down the hall part.
Posted by: Gopi at January 22, 2004 10:50 AMbut you won't be lonely here since you will have all your big city gal pals to go out on the town with all the time :)
Posted by: dahl at January 22, 2004 10:51 AMUh, how about moving further south? We could use some serious morale boosting down here...plus, I wouldn't be the only one getting in trouble for trying to make this place a bit more fun.
Posted by: Howard at January 22, 2004 11:17 AMfish, i'm so right there with you. i'm not that brave anymore, but i do need to be a new yorker again. i'm thinking it might happen in the next year or two... we'll see...
Posted by: sassylittlepunkin at January 22, 2004 11:30 AMas "one of the millions of lonely, unhappy women in the biggest, loneliest city" I can say there is nowhere else i'd rather be...
If you think you're still young and uncommitted enough to listen to your heart, then GO. I did, and 20 years later I still look back on that time with great delight.
Posted by: Lex at January 22, 2004 12:18 PMCan I come too?
Posted by: Concoctor at January 22, 2004 01:00 PMAs Mayor of this fine fine city I assure you; we want you. We need you. You must come.
Posted by: Ari at January 22, 2004 01:12 PMI think, both from your writing and your photo that you are in your early 20's? If so, you should pack up and move. As long as you won't starve to death, there is no better time to live in, and more importantly EXPERIENCE, New York City.
After awhile, you get old and realize you can't quite stay out until 4:00 in the morning, and that you don't really ever order breakfast to be delivered at midnight, and - at least in my case - you move back home, where it' warmer and calmer.
Posted by: greebs at January 22, 2004 01:17 PMI understand from Vanity Fair's latest issue that petty mayor bloomsberg is stealing the fun out of NYC, but hell, if rents weren't so high I'd move there myself. For at least 2 years. It's a fabulous city that can accommodate every frame of mind. So yep, do it. Find yourself a well-paying job, swanky digs, and let NYC be your muse.
Posted by: Katherine at January 22, 2004 05:05 PMI agree with the proponents of the move. You are obviously capable and already have a large social circle (Ari, Sarah B) ready to accept you and help you acclimate. (I'm thinking that with them, that means lots of drinking.) But the "do it while your young" truism is there for a reason and an adventurous person like yourself would be wasting your time not taking a chance.
On a side note, it would be interesting if a blog community of friends became an actual community of friends, as is partially happening here. What if Cati and sassy and all the other girls and guys that read and love you all moved to New York and then you created your own little neighborhood? How cool would THAT be?
Sure, all the blogs would turn out to be the same and possible suck for that reason but turning virtual friends into an actual community of people - that, to me, is exciting.
(And yes, I know, it's happening all the time.)
Posted by: Michael at January 22, 2004 05:24 PMDo I smell an imminent job opening in Boston?
Do I catch the whiff of a possible vacant 2-bedroom apartment?
The vultures circle. yeah, yeah, move.
But get a job lined up before you go.
Posted by: JJ at January 22, 2004 05:33 PMHave you made a pro/con list? If the pros outweigh the cons, or if you look at the cons and you just flat-out don't care, it's time to locate some free boxes and bubble wrap.
Posted by: polichick at January 22, 2004 05:55 PMI've got the best of both worlds. I live in the suburbs of NYC and get there often. I like being able to scoot over there to eat, check out some galleries, etc., and easily come back to my quiet wooded area when I'm done. I highly recommend it.
You want to leave?! Shit, woman, I'll help you pack! (And I might even drive you there).
Posted by: Rocco Yamamoto at January 23, 2004 12:24 AMi have had the same dream for years, and here's my thing: you only live once. there is nothing worse than regret, because it is something you do alone. there is no anti-regret pills, no regret support groups, it is the one emotion/issue handle alone. nothing is worse than regret. go for it!i think you would be wonderful, and it would mske you happy, really happy even if it only lasts a few months, a little bit of happiness is much better than no happiness...(not to say you aren't happy now, i'm just talking...la, la)
Posted by: london at January 23, 2004 12:52 AMI lived in Rockland and Westchester for years saying the same thing. I spent a fortune running down to the city. I finally just moved. That was over 20+ years ago (it's late). I can't imagine living anywhere else. I think it's the energy level here. Some of us thrive on it and others are worn out by it.
Posted by: Jim at January 24, 2004 12:26 AM