Give it time…

When we were first planning and packing and getting ready to move to NYC I researched moving to a new city. I read blogs about NYC. I read blogs about staying at home. I searched job websites and childcare facilities. I read articles about adjusting to a new place where you don’t really know anyone. I reassured myself that families move to new places all the time. I personally know military families and other friends who made similar moves to an unknown place with with no built in connections. I had many friends and family encouraging me to give it time. Blogs and articles said it might take a year or so to get to know people and start to feel like a part of the community where you live. The first few months were rough. I really didn’t think I was ever going to like it here and was just dreading the time here.

We are now about 11 months into our move to NYC and they were right. In time I have gotten more comfortable with the noise… the smell… the people… the subway… the weather… I can now give other new comers (of which there are plenty. daily.) directions to the train and information about what it means to take a train uptown or downtown. I can help people at the laundry mat with the door that sticks sometimes and which washers and dryers to avoid. I have someone I can text real quick and say could you keep an eye on my kids if they get out of school before I can get the littlest one out of the house and down the street.

My boys are known by the crossing guards, and office staff, the school bus driver (of the school my kids don’t attend) as well as the the parents and staff and neighbors around the school they do attend. We are on a friendly basis with a couple of other fellow dog owners. The clerk at the convenience store knows us. The pizza guy knows us. We have a couple of friends we can go to the park with when the temperatures are nice.

My point is, in time, we have made a comfortable little spot for ourselves. We are excited about spring flowers, and beach days, and the end of school. We will have seen all our family and given them a grand tour of the this city like we have belonged here all our lives. Now don’t get me wrong, I will be ready to leave the first opportunity we have to get out of here… but until then we will keep giving it time… to make friends, to have an adventure, to make memories, and to make leaving a little harder!