UWM is my third school during my undergrad. Probably the most interesting thing about me though is my time in NYC. I decided on a whim to do my first year of school in lower Manhattan (my whims make me seem much richer than I am). While I am at UWM now though (due to several reasons), my time in NYC has taught me that everyone should live out of state in their early 20s- preferably during school.
Before I moved to NYC the only time I had been even close to the East Coast was driving through the Appalachian Mountains. I had never flown on my own, taken a subway, or had to deal with roommates. I was very quiet and shy, and still am, but I came out of my shell and became much more outspoken. It was challenging adjusting to NYC’s culture. Sometimes it was scary. When I first flew to LGA for the first time I had to figure out a system of busses and subways to get to lower Manhattan which can easily take a few hours if you don’t know how to. You could easily end up in a scary area where you’re not sure who to ask for help. Once you have it down though it’s much cheaper and about as fast as a taxi depending on traffic.The scariest time was seeing the police violence protests on the Brooklyn Bridge right out the school windows. It was crazy that what the country saw on TV was literally on the bridge that I walked on, across the street from where I was taking my midterms. Some other day-to-day things took some getting used to. I could never get over the fact that large dumpsters aren’t really a thing at most buildings especially in lower Manhattan. Our dorm always had a huge wall of our garbage along the street.
Another shock was that the city that never sleeps does sleep! Most places still closed around 9 or 10 aside from food trucks or $1 pizza places open til 2. I could probably spend hours talking about the variety of food though which was one of the best things. Along with the variety of food, I came away from NYC with the best memories and stories. I lived a couple blocks from Wall Street and the 9/11 memorial which was just an incredible experience because millions of people every year go to visit and I could say I lived there. Down the street from the McDonalds everyone from school went to was the church that President George Washington went to. While I was there I also worked in the Upper West Side so we went to Central Park all the time for late night jogs and tan and drink out of coconuts in the spring. As a die-hard Gossip Girl fan, I of course ate yogurt on the steps of the Met in the Upper East Side across the park. Gossip Girl left out though that the Met has an amazing rooftop with a couple bars and the best view of Central Park.
In the end, I don’t regret going to NYC and don’t regret moving to WI because it felt right at the time. I think about it all the time and feel the most homesick for it every Spring so I may be back after graduation. Either way as cliché as it is everyone should travel in their early 20s. I don’t think you can possibly be the most independent and sure person without it. It really pushes you to listen to yourself and be resourceful when you are far from your comfort zone and support system.