I Heart NY

What's that you say!? I NEVER EVER thought I'd hear myself say that! And I'm not sure that it's totally true. Here's the story:

So I finished reading Jen Lancaster's latest book the other day over my dinner (love Panera!) and started the last book in the Gossip Girl series (oh how I heart GG and Cecily for creating it!). And I'm a couple of pages in, reading all about Manhattan and the giltz and glamour of these girls lives and I stop and think about the 7 years that I lived there....take away the horrible commute and outlandish expense to live, and you've got a great city full of fashion and hustle bustle and friends (oh how I miss my NY girls). Granted this is not a pity party because we are MUCH better off here and I truly love the new lifestyle and slower pace and oh what's that, being able to SAVE money! Concept! And I know that we could never start a family in NY (at least in my opinion, not somewhere that I'd want to a)be pregnant and b)attempt to raise a child because the child care alone would probably be 4x the rent which is already like 6x an average person's mortgage for a decent sized home. So yes, we've made exactly the right decision to move and I LOVE it here, I love that we have a huge walk in closet, a master bathroom, and our little apartment steps remind me of my dad's condo because they are wooden and that reminds me of the beach and the boardwalk. Oh yeah and my 10 minute commute to work *yes please!* doesn't get any better!
J apologized to me when I told him that I missed NY (just a little) the other night. And really there is no need, it was our decision and I miss more of the life that we would not ever have been able to have if we still lived there. Just thinking of what it would be like if we were still there makes me cringe. We're in a much better place down here and we're learning so much more about what it's like to actually be married and be with eachother instead of constant griping about the commute etc.
So Gossip Girl, I love you and I will continue reading, but not without a little teeny tiny ache in the veeerrrryy back of my heart, for my little strip on 34th street, 86th street, and union square. After all, it is about the city where I met the man of my dreams, so if it weren't for NY, I wouldn't be where I am now - happy as a clam, with the love of my life, and finally having the ability to make bigger and better dreams come true. :)

Hey, we'll be back to visit - just you wait :)