Normally this time of the year I'm working on my NYC anniversary post, but this year is a little bit different. Life sure has a funny way of throwing you curveballs doesn't it?! They joke you're not a real New Yorker until you've lived in the city for 7 years so I guess I justtt missed that cut-off. So instead of hitting that milestone this week, I'm celebrating a different anniversary.. my first full month of being a Washington resident again! 👈🏻 Woh, that still feels weird to say! 

So how's it going?! Now that I've gotten through some of the logistics of the move -- like sorting out health insurance, figuring out how to buy a car, and actually getting all of my stuff to the west coast.. all of that fun stuff -- I'm starting to adjust to my new normal. You can't get much further apart on the spectrum moving from New York back to my little hometown so I was a little worried about that, but for the most part, it's felt pretty great to get back to my roots. So what have been some of the biggest adjustments?! A lot! I like to joke that living in the city was like living on another planet and in a lot of ways it's true. There have certainly been a lot of changes on the flip side. Driving, having full sized appliances and a wholeee lot more space, less humidity, whole aisles of ice cream at the grocery store (I'm ok with this change), seeing sunsets, super-friendly people, allll of the outdoors... Some have been easier to adjust to (like the ice cream haha) and others that have been a little tougher like changing my work schedule! I think it's going to take a bit longer to adjust to that 5 a.m. wake-up time. 🙈

Generally, I'm someone who enjoys some downtime, but that is the one thing I haven't had much of this summer since being back. This girl has been busyyyyy. Like, can I have a free weekend to stay in my pjs all weekend soon?! I think staying busy has actually been one of the best things for getting adjusted, but I'm not going to lie it has been kind of exhausting. My life here is pretty different than my life in NYC though so it has kept me moving forward. So what have I been up to? Here are some of the major things!

Reconnecting with Fam & Friends

This has been the single best thing about being home again! Of course, now I'm missing all of my NYC friends, but it has been so great to reconnect with everyone here. I've been lucky to have been able to spend a lot more time home over the last year, but really being home is a totally different experience. When you live cross-country most of the time you see your family it's for an occasion, so it's great to be able to just hang out without any agenda. Being able to meet up with my Dad for an afternoon hike or spend an evening with my Mom has been so nice. It's little things like that, that you totally take for granted when you live near your parents so I've been trying to make up for the last 10 years of living out of state!

Getting My Outdoors On

This summer has been beau-ti-ful!!! Seattle broke a record from 1951 this year for 52 days without rain and boy have I been enjoying it. I've spent a lot of time this summer taking advantage of all of the outdoors Washington has to offer. In the mountains.. time at the lake.. walking along the beaches.. #Gimmealloftheoutdoors. While I'm staying back in my hometown, I've also taken up a hiking at a local spot during the week. There's something kind of therapeutic about getting your butt kicked climbing a mountain when you're starting over too.

Something I have also really come to appreciate about Washington since being back is the diversity of activities the state has. While I grew up here, I left the state when I was 18 so I never really fully appreciated that. You can go hiking one day, to the beach the next, and kayaking the next. I can. not. get. enough! I know there was a million things to do in NYC too, but it's been nice having a different set of options and a lot more that involve getting some fresh air. There's just something about being able to hop in your own car (more on that later) that is so freeing and I've been loving that.

Squeezing in some City Time

Along with spending a lotttt of times outdoors, I've also been getting my city fix in! I've always had such a love affair with Seattle, even though truthfully I know very little about it, so I have been loving the city adventures I've had so far. I've made it to two Mariners games this summer, enjoyed some time at Alki Beach, and also went to my first Seafair party and watched the Blue Angels!

It's interesting being back too because, in NYC, that's really the hub on the city side... Back here though, we also have a lot of smaller cities where there's still a ton of things to check out even if you're not in Seattle. Needless to say I have a lotttt of adventuring left to do. With more cities, my brain has kind of exploded for thinking about where I want to move next too. So many options... That decision can wait for another day though. For now I'm just enjoying checking out different things and fun events going on around the state.

Doing all of the Driving

Driving.. Guys, I bought a car and I'm not going to lie.. I'm kind of obsessed with it. I was lucky enough to have the best car buying partner EVER too! We walked into our first dealership to take a look at some of the options and I ended up driving out a brand new car right out of the showroom and I am in LOVE! Well maybe not with having a car payment, but the car... I LOVE!

HOLY MOLY! Let me tell you, cars are definitely a little more high tech than the last time I owned one.. I mean the last time I was driving my car still had a cassette player in it.. 🙈 If I'm being honest, it's going to take a bit for me to really figure it all out haha. 3 backup cams (kind of essential after my incident earlier this summer), lane departure warning, automatic braking.. the car can almost drive itself and those are just the ones I've kind of figured out so far. 

So needless to say it has been quite the month! There are definitely a lot of things about NYC I miss already, but it has been such an awesome start to this new chapter so far and I can't wait to see what comes next!

I moved to NYC Labor Day weekend in 2010 with 5 suitcases, my pup, and my eyes wide for an adventure. I was 21, a year out of college ready to make a bet on myself. I promised my parents I'd only be moving back east for a year, but then years 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 quickly passed by. Now, a month shy of my 7-year anniversary it's time to say goodbye. Despite not always being New York City's biggest fan, it's always been pretty good to me, so closing this chapter certainly feels bittersweet.

When I first arrived, I was hooked on the energy and ambition of the city. Empire State of Mind was the ringtone on my phone and I was determined to be one of the ones who "made it here". New York was never a dream of mine, but rather an opportunity that fell into my lap. It came knocking twice that year, and on the second knock, I decided it was a sign I should give it a shot. I had only visited twice and didn't know any of the neighborhoods, but I had a job and a boss who helped me get settled. I was naive of so many things, but the one thing I had was determination and, at that time, it was enough for me. I'll never forget the feeling of flying into Manhattan that day and realizing that I was really going to live here. Ready or not.. it was happening.

I started over and moved into an apartment I had never seen, that was double my Portland rent, with a roommate I had never met before, just hoping for the best. There were so many things that could have gone wrong, but luckily, it all worked out. Our first weekend in NYC we jumped right into city living and went to Fashion's Night Out where I had my first experience of getting lost -- you know typical Anna. I walked around downtown for almost two hours trying to find my roommate, confused about how to catch a cab and wishing I had a smartphone I could get directions on. Even though I was lost and getting eaten alive by mosquitos (which is a whole other story), I couldn't have been happier just taking everything in. Eventually, I did find my roommate and a few friends who were visiting, and we walked up and down the streets of Chelsea like we owned the place. I remember passing Neil Patrick Harris and Joan Rivers and just being overwhelmed in the best possible way. That night was just the beginning and I couldn't wait to embrace everything the city had to offer.

After living here for about a month, I met someone who I would go on to spend nearly all my time in the city with. He was calm, cool and collected and was along for the ride of my adventures. We spent our free time checking out the latest and greatest restaurants we had heard about and he got used to waiting to take his first bite until I took pictures for my blog. We spent more weekends and holidays on Long Island than I could count with some of the sweetest people who I'll always consider family. We looked forward to afternoons spent at Central Park and even more so, the big smile that would be on Scooter's face when we walked him out there. Which it should be mentioned, I was always the actual third wheel in that relationship.

I can honestly say I watched more sports during our relationship than the first 21 years of my life combined, but I always looked forward to going to Yankees games aka Garlic Cheesies season. He taught me that NY pizza should be folded when you eat it and, what he would say, the proper pronunciation of Mario -- although that one is still up for debate. It's hard to find a page in my New York story that he wasn't apart of and he was my hardest goodbye. He was my rock and taught me that relationships didn't have to be hard and what it really meant to be life partners. It's not an easy thing to decide you want different things in life after being together so long, but sometimes the best thing you can do for someone you care about is to let them go. 

Beyond love, I met more amazing friends than I could have ever imagined. Year after year I built relationships with some of the kindest and most ambitious people who really got me. People from all over the country and walks of life who also decided to give New York a shot. We'd meet up for brunch, hang out in the park, go out for wine, and girls' nights were always some of my favorite memories. We took in all of the city had to offer, celebrated our wins, hugged it out during the tough times and gave each other a kick in the butt when we needed a boost. You guys held me together when I needed it the most and were my biggest cheerleaders every step of the way. NYC didn't always feel like home to me, but it was my family and friends that really kept me past year 1 and I hope each and every one of you know how much you mean to me. And while I know these will be lifetime relationships (I'm not that easy to get rid of!) not being a subway ride away from all of you is going to be really tough.

Not only was New York a big part of my life personally, but it was huge professionally. I can say for certain it was one of the best decisions I could have made. This city tested me in so many ways and opened the doors to opportunities I would never have had otherwise. It lit up my passion for writing when I started this blog, helped me work my way up in my career and later inspired me to have the courage to start my own business -- something I would have never thought I'd do. There's something about this city that changes you, builds your character and pushes you further than you ever thought you could go and for that, I'll be forever grateful. 

New York is definitely something special and even though I'm ready to go, I'm sure going to miss this crazy place for so many reasons. I'll close things out with a quote from the first blog post I ever published, “Too positive to be doubtful, too optimistic to be fearful, and too determined to be defeated.” It's one of my favorites to this day and one that I think summarizes how I viewed my time here, as well as my next adventure. Goodbyes have always been tough for me, but this one has truly taken everything I have to get through. To closing one chapter and writing another, goodbye NYC.

So, BIG news over on the blog today. It's with a lot of excitement/tears/let's be real... alllll of the feels that I announce I've decided to say farewell to NYC. It's been a really tough decision and one I've gone back and forth in my head for years on. After almost 7 years in the city and 10 years living out of state though, it's time to get back to my roots.

Personally, I think what's even scarier than making a decision is actually living through the pain and heartache of the process. It's often not the decision that holds us back, ultimately we know what we want, but actually living through the process to make that decision a reality that is so tough. Especially when others are involved. I hate hurting or disappointing others and this one is a double whammy on all accounts.

Year after year, I tried, and semi-successfully, convinced myself that I could be 100% happy in NYC. And I really thought I could be. After all, I'd built an awesome life, had the most amazing people in my life, and things had really lined up the way I wanted. Especially after I started my own business and was able to go coast-to-coast more. Instead of feeling content with the back and forth though, I just found myself yearning for more time. Those what ifs and thoughts of future regret will crush you though, and sometimes you just can't convince your head and your heart that you want the same thing.

I will forever be thankful for all of my time in the city and this will always be a chapter I'll look back on fondly. I've taken risks. I've loved. I've grown. I've met some of my absolute favorite people. I've both lost and found myself. This city has shaped the person I've become so much and it's going to be really tough to say goodbye.

So what's next? A hot date with a lot of moving details and 2,800 miles to think about if I made the right decision. Truthfully though, while I'm both sad and nervous, I am also really excited for the future. I'm excited to keep expanding my business at Bold & Pop, I'm excited for new adventures (and a lot more outdoors!), I'm excited to drive again, I'm excited to reconnect with some of my best friends, and most of all I'm excited to be a few minutes vs a 6-hour flight home from family. 

Washington, I'm coming home for keeps.