A native Seattleite and recent East Coast transplant, I have been interested in politics, religion, and race from the day I saw “The Autobiography of Malcolm X” on the bookshelf belonging to my BFF’s mom back in 1991. While my zealotry has thankfully diminished with maturity, I remain the deep thinking, passionate, and humble woman I have always been. I reside in the suburbs of NYC with my husband, daughter, and our two feisty but deeply loved cats.
Previously I elaborated on my relocation to New York from my hometown Seattle, and addressed the various challenges I faced during that process. Today I am going to share the key differences I have observed since my move. Seattle and New York City have a few traits in common. Both are known for being politically liberal and having a high cost of living. However, the Big Apple and Emerald City diverge in several ways.
When I arrived, there was a quietness to the city I had never seen before. On the few occasions I ventured out with my fiancé, it was unsettling to see the City That Never Sleeps devoid of its regular buzz and vitality. The empty streets of Harlem felt alien, remote, and cold. This image was undoubtedly not what I envisioned when I initially decided to relocate.
In this short entry I reflect on the juxtaposition of my fortieth birthday with the fifteenth anniversary of my mother’s passing, and where I am at in my healing journey.