People say that New York City is the place where all your dreams come true. You can be anything you want, accomplish anything you want, and become super successful. People also say that if you can make it in NYC you can make it anywhere. That is mostly because New York is the hardest place to build a career. People say that this city will eat you alive. Well, let me tell you, it is all true.
You really understand NYC and make the best out of it once you have real friends. The ones that inspire you and push you to be better. You, know… real friends, lol! After a while, I learned that my favorite things to do in NYC are brunch on the weekends, especially outdoor brunch during summer, and bars with friends. The bohemian lifestyle I always loved. But obviously, I had a journey until weekend brunch and bar hangouts with friends.
One of the things I noticed among immigrants is the fact that we all have the same story: building a life from the scratch and having a hard time building a career and making friends. As I mentioned in previous posts, I hate my first job in NY. Hated the second one even more. And even hating my life during that time, I stuck to it because I was afraid of not finding anything better. It is natural for us immigrants to be scared of what can happen if we do not find another job and suck it up when people are taking advantage of us. The same happens in friendships.
I met my best friends in the nightlife. No jokes! I know it can be hard to find true friends in that way, but the best friends I found in NYC came from nightclubs. Which also makes it hard to stay in your path. With all the distractions this city has it is definitely hard to stray focus on your goals. This is one of the reasons why it took me so long to get my life together. I admit that I should have been smarter and more focused since the beginning, but also admit that, even though sometimes I felt like people were taking advantage of the situation, I did not want to say no because I was trying to build a social network.
As immigrants, we tend to focus on our careers and deal with whatever friendship shows up in front of us. Even with our gut telling us “do not go there” or “do not date or be friends with that guy” we still do it. This is one of the reasons why so many people do not make it here. NYC is not only the best place in the world but also the hardest one to build a career and stay focused.
The bohemian lifestyle in this city is SO versatile that you will never have to repeat a single bar. When you make real friends you learn the best things New York has to offer. And even then, let me tell you, the NYC lifestyle is heavy! Building a career, hustling, and trying to keep up with the city’s energy is no joke. People say that NYC is the kind of place that eats your soul, destroys your heart, and makes you tough. After 5 years I finally understand that this is all true.
Brunch on the weekends, hanging out with friends at my favorite spots, and enjoying NYC energy are some of my favorite things, but as an immigrant, my career always comes first. The hustle of immigrants in this city is something that amazes me. People who made successful careers in this city will understand me… Sometimes we forget to eat or sleep to make sure we will get to work on time and do not miss that party.
I have seen so many immigrants trying to make it, but ended up going back home because they lost their focus. After a while of hanging out with my fake friends (lol, but for real), I finally got to the real ones. The friends who inspired me and keep poking me to be better. That was when the weekend brunches and bar hangouts got real. Being bohemian is part of me and my style, but it took me a while to learn how to make the best out of it. Especially living in the US, trying to build a career, and making friends.
The hustle in New York is unstoppable, but as an immigrant, we hustle to work, to build friends and to live in the real NYC lifestyle. And that is the main reason why I want to share it all with you!
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