Will We Ever Be Happy With Where We Are?
It seems as though TikTok always shows the many sides of its users. Whether it’s through a new beauty trend that brings out insecurities, through the spread of information we find ourselves debating, or even through a positive trend showing support for a marginalized community, TikTok is undoubtedly the mirror of our society.
A new trend using the sound of Travis Scott’s song “Highest in the Room,” highlights the users’ current location, including where they currently live and where they want to live on the following slide. We see one specific user wanting to “make it out of” the reputable Beverly Hills to move to New York City. This video specifically made many question if we will ever be happy with where we are.
An Anecdote on Escape
Florida lives up to the ‘crazy Florida man’ rumors, which I can confidently confirm after being raised in rural St. Cloud. Being born in Puerto Rico and raised in rural Florida definitely played a role in my personal ideologies. When I visited Puerto Rico, most of my family also lived in more rural areas, leading me to spend an incredible amount of time with nature and eating questionable fruit from random trees. Both places are tied to my identity and have aided in the evolution of my interests. They’re the epicenter of my heart.
Yet, as I got older and learned how to drive around the city near my hometown, I realized there was so much I had not seen. So, imagine the culture shock that went through my body when I visited New York City at 20 years old. Seeing my culture celebrated in the U.S. was shocking. Seeing art prioritized, tasting the most delicious food only a five-minute walk away, and meeting amazing people put a new emphasis on my life expectations.
Returning to St. Cloud was very odd, as if I was actively having a slight identity crisis. I would constantly compare myself to my friends who had much more money than I did, who had connections I felt I could only dream of having, and who had never worked a part-time job. I would show up to the multiple jobs I kept during school and essentially hated everything about myself. I was absolutely not happy with where I was and wanted to escape.
As time passed, all I could think to do was to find comfort in my friends and family. They sat through hours of me talking about what I experienced when I visited NYC. They comforted me when my body was in pain from my long hours at work and never failed to remind me how much I am loved. As my identity crisis slipped away and my new identity took over, I started becoming much more comfortable with my identity. I forgave myself for the conservative ideologies I held in the past and made space for my new, foundational ideologies.
Eventually, I slowly became the person I had always hoped to become. I work hard for what I want and achieve everything I put my mind to. I am driven, not by what I don’t have, but by what I do have.
To Be Succinct
There is nothing inherently wrong with asking for more in life. There is nothing wrong with having massive goals. There is nothing wrong with those who have immense privilege to want something else out of life. There is nothing wrong with those who don’t have much privilege being frustrated and wanting to strive for a better life.
Are you allowed to want to ‘escape’ one of the most reputable cities in America? Of course! But you are also allowed to think your privilege is contentious.
Autonomy is a beautiful thing many people take for granted. It’s something not everyone in this world has. Happiness is not a feeling or a state of mind that is simplistic, but an innate right. A right that many of us are constantly looking to achieve. Yet, I can’t help but wonder, does happiness exist in movement or does it exist in the stillness of the present?
To be succinct, I guess that’s for one to find out on their own, but it is important to remember that a bit of gratitude will change your life.