julianne escobedo shepherd

OH MY GOD this is a very personal decision ljadslkblahblabblah. But generally I would say leaving the suburbs will likely help you (and anyone) blossom, particularly if you are a POC living in white suburbs and need to get out from the chokehold. HOWEVER: NYC is great but there are many, many drawbacks to it. The most obvious is that it costs a trizillion dollars to live here and that it’s difficult to get work (no matter what you do, although if you are an investment banker I feel like you have better chances). Additionally, once you move here, they say it takes about a year to acclimate yourself to the pace and function and everything. It took eight months for me, during which I was incredibly lonely, had panic attacks, was generally self-destructive and didn’t know my head from my ass. And I had a ton of friends here already. BUT! ONE DAY IT ALL CLICKED, and coming on nine years later, I would never want to live anywhere else in the United States, like if I move I’m going off the continent. (Hopefully to the Seychelles. With a new passport and identity. Bourne.) All of which is to say: if you think you are ready, move here! Make sure you have a flush savings account! But be aware that it usually doesn’t get romantic and great for a long while, and some people end up hating it and move somewhere else. And that’s okay. That’s my super general advice without knowing any details of yr situation or what you do, etc etc.