Hey guys! It’s a busy week around here, being in the process of moving across the country and all… ahh! Last night was our very last night sleeping in our apartment, and I am staying in NYC for a couple more days to tie up all the loose ends of my daily life before I head on out. Crazy, right?!
Just to give you a little visual before I get into it: I am sitting on the floor of my empty room wrapped in my comforter with my pillows propped up against my closet door. My suitcases are at my feet, and my clothes that I couldn’t part with for a few years are hanging on my doorknob. Its reeeal empty up in here!
Here’s the thing. I have never been so sad to leave somewhere before. Every time I go home to California after living another city, I am totally satisfied with the experience and ready to close the chapter. New York has such a huge piece of my heart and has turned into such a home for me, I am really not feeling that “satisfied” feeling right now.
People keep asking me – why California? Why leaving New York so soon? Well, I moved here last August for a graduate school program and also because I always wanted to live in New York for a certain amount of time after college. As soon as I got here, the blog started taking on a bigger and bigger role in my life, until eventually grad school (right now at least) didn’t make as much sense anymore.
When I made that decision it was still the middle of the winter… the harshest winter New York has seen in decades, by the way. I was also still relatively new here and was desperate to be closer to family and many of my friends who are back in California. I decided that LA was much more conducive to people like me with alternative schedules, because I would be able to go outside year round and also connect with people in the health world in LA and start building awesome connections that I felt I had already built here.
I wanted to be somewhere where I felt I was going to stay. It was a rocky few months for me, and I was feeling very ungrounded. Every time I visited sunny LA and got to hike the Hollywood Hills in the middle of January while it was 7 degrees in NYC… I felt at home. I felt whole, and I felt happy.
Long story short, I now feel whole and happy in New York too. I think it takes a while to get adjusted to living somewhere… almost a whole year, in my case. My friends in New York have become family, likely because my own family is so far away. The city, and especially the west village where I live, has turned into such a comfortable home. I love my independence here and the ability to walk down the street and get whatever the heck I would ever need. I love the energy of the city and being surrounded by extremely motivated people. I love living with my lifelong best friend and I am going to miss her terribly. (Say hi, Katie!)
All of that said… I know I will re-make a home for myself in LA as well. I am still extremely excited to be close to my family and all of my amazing friends in California. I am excited for the sunshine, the beach, the health community out there and of course my beloved yoga studio. I am a lucky girl, because to me it’s a win-win. LA is a win, NYC is a win. I am going to come back and visit as often as I can. This city has stolen my heart, and it’s time to conquer the next!
Oh, and my best friend in the world came to visit me this weekend and it was a SURPRISE… can you say amazingness?!?!
I am putting together A Year in Photos post to commemorate my time in New York, and I cannot wait to share it!!! It’s really cool to look back and see how much has happened in the last year. Last August feels like a century ago. I am also going to write a little “What NYC means to a California girl” post, because I have gathered so many thoughts, quotes and experiences about it that I might as well share. All of my west coasters and my east coasters will appreciate it!
Now… before I get back to packing and rolling my suitcases from here to Katie’s new apartment (eeeek!!), I want to hit you with a little “How I stay healthy while in the process of moving” kinda thaaang.
It’s kind of hard when you realize it would be silly to buy groceries that are going to last more than a few days, and also because it’s your last few days somewhere you are eating out constantly because you’re on the go and you want to spend time with as many people as possible.
That’s why it’s extra important to remain prepared! I have stalked up on Kind bars (my ultra fav, omg so good) and also my Vega One protein powder mini-packets so I can make smoothies on-the-go. I even packed up my Vitamix yesterday and sent it on a truck to LA… it was like parting ways with a boyfriend, for real.
Another few things that are great in a time of packing and stress are… juices and smoothies. Pre-made, but still entirely organic, raw and cold-pressed. Rawpothecary and Luli Tonix have been savin’ my life this week. A nice blended smoothie with fruits and veggies is a great breakfast alternative when you are pressed for time and don’t have access to your regular kitchen appliances. Even my pots and pans are gone!
I do admit that NYC makes it a heck of a lot easier to stay healthy while moving out of an apartment… because there are awesome organic restaurants like Feel Food on every corner in the west village. I stopped by for some delicious oatmeal and green juice yesterday morning, and will probably do the same this morning.
And this was me picnicking on the floor of my empty living room after my movers came yesterday… (and the first time salmon is making an appearance on this bloggy… big step!) PS– sorry for all the iPhone pics!
Another important thing is to stay movin’! It can be hard to find time to stay active while in the crazy moving process, but taking an hour out of your day to do some yoga or go on a run makes a HUGE difference. I went to yoga yesterday after several days of being unable to, and I felt like an entirely new person. Absolutely worth making the time for.
And, lastly… have FUN. Enjoy special time with your friends before you head out. I am lucky to be surrounded by incredible people here, and am soaking in every moment with them! And, with my resurgence of love for balance, finding that balance and spending time with the amazing peeps in my life instead of stressing about the move 100% of the time has been extremely healthy.
Thank you a million trillion for the continued love about my last few posts, and about the crazy changes going on in my life right now. It’s hard to stay grounded when nearly everything is upside down at the moment, but your love and support have made it SO MUCH EASIER. I can’t thank you all enough. I keep breaking down and crying because I am so grateful, so lucky for all of you and so overwhelmed all at the same time.
Cannot wait to be back in Cali in a few days where I am going to really set my mind to coming up with a brand new blog name and rebranding a bittle.
Oh, AND if you didn’t see my excitement on Facebook and Instagram about the Women’s Health article about TBV yesterday and my journey through transitioning out of veganism…. check it outttt!!
So much love to you all! Cannot wait to share my year in photos post.
How is everyone else’s week going?!