Well New York, I did it. Happy 10 year anniversary- though this year alone feels like 10 years. If I had a way to travel back in time to inform my younger self before I moved that in the year 2020 I would be unemployed, living in the epicenter of a pandemic, with the world more chaotic than ever...I would have probably laughed, told my future self he’s crazy, and to get lost. I knew at a young age I didn’t belong where I grew up. I knew someday I would move and break away from the small, conservative, country life mindset. I spent my younger days being teased and bullied. At night in my backyard, I would lie down in the grass and look up at all the stars in the sky, as a way of calming my thoughts. I told myself there was more to life than what I had at that moment. I held on to that hope, and step by step, I was able to get myself to NYC. The past few months I’ve had a lot of time to reflect. New York getting hit hard with COVID-19 was gut-wrenching to watch. However, when I volunteered in places that needed help, it showed me how charismatic people in the City truly are. I saw New Yorkers come together and put their lives at risk to help other New Yorkers survive. Volunteering made me realize there’s no other place I would rather be. I’ve started playing music again as an outlet to help ease my mind during these unprecedented times. Opening up old acting books and reading new plays to rediscover my imaginative side has also been therapeutic. I’ve been researching and educating myself on how to be a better ally—not just for my LGBT+ community, but the black community and any other minority community who hasn’t had the opportunity to be treated as an equal in America. I feel myself changing, growing, and becoming wiser. Change is scary; stepping out of my comfort zone can seem unimaginable, but it’s necessary. I’ve made plenty of mistakes, taken a few wrong turns, but my errors have led me to where I am today. I can look in the mirror and say I love and respect myself. I might not be walking down the red carpet like I had hoped, but I am walking on the sidewalks in this concrete jungle with my head held high, proud, and honored to be a New Yorker. -S (at New York, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/CBt8TKHBL-x/?igshid=8m3up1b4tnj
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