I am not a New Yorker. But…
Thank you for pushing me, for
making me realize my full potential.
The two years I lived in New York
as a graduate student were undoubtedly the most difficult, yet most
accomplished years of my life thus far. In those two years I earned my MPA,
held 2 unpaid internships in the international development sector, volunteered
in refugee resettlement, waited tables at an Italian-Japanese restaurant in
Tribeca, held a Board position for a student org, spent 4 months abroad in
three African countries and still found time to build life-long friendships
with some of the most inspiring people I’ve ever met. There were nights where I
came home at 4am after a 16 hour day of nonstop intellectual, physical and
emotional stimulation where I lied in my bed absolutely exhausted. Yet, I found a
smirk on my face – a gesture of overwhelming content of the day’s productivity.
In some sick way, getting up in the morning with a sore body from a normal day’s
routine was some sort of accomplishment, the same feeling you get when your
body is sore the day after an extensive session at the gym. Like I’ve told
many, in the last two years I feel like I've physically and mentally aged 10.
I respect the New York hustle,
the passion and the drive that attracts like-minded individuals from all over the
world in the spirit that “anything is possible”. Every person you meet has an
individually unique story about what passion brought them to New York with
nothing but “a dollar and a dream”.
Not too far long after I arrived
in Johannesburg did I notice the strong impact New York had on me. I’m more
aggressive, honest and have adopted a GSD [Get Shit Done] attitude. I recognize
efficiency as the key to success and am passionate about every project I invest
a minute of my time into. I no longer have a tolerance for bullshit, am more
direct and instantly see through the [San Francisco] tendency to sugar coat the
truth. I’m realistic versus idealistic. While I’ve always been my biggest
critic, criticism no longer hurts and I’m not ashamed to recognize my flaws.
Each person met is an extended ‘network’ and I’m always trying to make a
connection if it helps the society at large. I’m an extroverted introvert, less
terrified to speak in front of crowds and can confidently navigate any
one-on-one conversation, no matter the individual.
So again, I am not a New Yorker.
But I thank my Empire State of Mind for adding a much-needed layer of dimension
to my Hawaiian-style inner core, driven by my Bay Area sense of humor and light-hearted
kindness.
Despite how much I love New York,
I’m not 100% positive I will be returning after my stint here in South Africa.
While working in the name of international development, it doesn’t make sense
to work so far removed from the beneficiaries of your effort. Will I feel as
fulfilled about the impact I’m having sitting behind a computer screen
thousands of miles away from the community where I’m trying to ‘make a
difference’? Probably not. Okay, no – definitely
not. As with any human interaction, I value the dimension of a face-to-face
conversation. Call it basic principles of relationship building, but even as
much as our world is connected by technology, necessary elements of a relationship
such as trust, cannot be gauged via a Skype call or Google Hangout.
Much like a travel bug, I thought
the willingness to relocate anywhere for my next professional stint was a virus
that would leave my system with enough nourishment. However, a year after grad
school and the ‘career’ travel bug is still invading my soul – and I can’t
shake it. I have a mental list of locations where I’d like to live and work for
1-2 years. Bali, Nairobi and France top the list, unless I got a Fellowship
with the World Economic Forum, then I’d drop everything and go to Geneva in a
heartbeat. I’d say, “A girl can dream, can’t she?” but these aren’t dreams –
the question is, “in what chapter of my life will they occur?” Sorry if I sound
aggressive, but you can blame the New Yorker in me – she knows
how to get what she wants. #SorryNotSorry
