A Love Letter to New York City
December 24, 2020
Exactly one year ago from today, I left New York after spending 3 months there. I was forever a changed human being. And now so many people are leaving or have already left NYC and it will never be the same. As all things, everything is always changing. This piece of writing is a testament, a tribute, a deep bow to my time there. I love you New York, forever and always.
Thank you thank you thank you.
-----
December 24, 2019
Dear New York City,
I write this love letter to you 30,000 miles in the air on the way to my next destination. I call this special place the “inbetween” - a place for reflection, dreams, and rest.
After being in you for much longer than I had anticipated - 83 days to be exact - the longest I’ve stayed in one city over the past year of extensive traveling and movement. Something about you kept me lingering, I was engulfed by you. And with that, I have some thoughts about you, my love.
I didn’t like you at first, I actually despised you a little bit. You and your dirty streets with trash everywhere, your harshness, your brittle cold, your plump rodent friends that roamed the streets freely, your Wallstreet bro hustle energy that felt like everyone was stepping over anyone to get to the top. Maybe it was because you made me feel so small, like a tiny ant that could get squashed in any moment in the concrete jungle. I felt unseen amongst a sea of a million empty eyes who dare not make eye contact on the bustling streets of Midtown Manhattan. A city with so many people, yet I never felt so alone.
And maybe that was one of the main reasons I came to you in the first place. New York City, the city where dreams come true, or the city where dreams go to die and get trampled over. And to put myself in a situation where I was forced to be uncomfortable, actually made me thrive to my maximum potential. It pushed me to give it my all, and in that pursuit - I grew so much in such a short period of time.
You have been my wisest teacher, my biggest expander, my juiciest love affair. Here are some of the things you have taught me -
The true meaning of hustling is to have the drive and motivation to make things happen with strategic and accelerated action.
Dream big, truly. The level and caliber of people doing things they are passionate about while creating a living for themselves is endless. Anything is possible here. I witnessed it, and I believe it.
Trying new things that make you uncomfortable is actually fun and if you look at challenges as an opportunity to level up then you can have fun along the way.
I am an artist. I am a performer. I am a musician. I am a creative entrepreneur.
How to move my body and love it and be in tune with it and respect it.
In a city so crowded with so many people, it can feel quite lonely to be honest. But I learned to rely on myself, my rhythm, my heart beat. I am enough.
I learned about community in the 83 days that I was here. I immersed myself in the beautiful diverse communities of NYC. And I felt like I belonged. Thank you Ecstatic Dance NYC, Collective Bae, Personal Development Nerds, Map & Move, The Get Down, MusiCollage for showing me how its done. It was the individuals within these communities - the unique characters that walked the streets of NYC, that breathed life into the train stations, the friends that became family that make New York City what it is.
I didn’t know why I felt drawn to you at first, but I trusted my intuition and showed up fully. What I discovered was a magnificent accelerator to working on making my dreams come true. It is where I went to launch the first official DREAM Workshop at a psychedelic immersive art exhibition space in Midtown Manhattan.
You were my accomplice in making one of my biggest dreams come true. Your dance, your sounds, your song, your jokes, your tears, your aliveness.
I’ll never forget this moment... It was a sunny morning after a big snow fall and I was feeling particularly worn out that day, in distress, unsure if I would be able to pull off making The DREAM Workshop happen and feeling incredibly sad and alone. I had just rode the L train into Bushwick and was walking up the stairs in the station. This song “Turiya & Ramakrishna” by Alice Coltrane had randomly (or by fate) come on from my Spotify Discovery and I started crying as I was walking up the stairs. Once I got up to the sidewalk, the beautiful, bright sun had hit my cold, wet face, and a huge wave of glee and peace washed over me. The message I received in that moment was - accept what is and carry on with optimism and delight, it will all work out perfectly as it is meant to, trust and surrender, I am guided and I am protected. And so it did, and so it is. I incorporate this song into every one of my workshops now. Message received ;)
I thank you, I love you.
Wholly yours,
Holly