I’ve been wanting visit New York since I was 10 years old.

Actually, I thought I would move to New York once I graduated from high school. I’m sure you guys are asking yourself “so why didn’t you move to New York?” and to answer that question honestly, It was unrealistic for me at the time. When I graduated from high school, I didn’t have a plan, I didn’t have a job and I definitely didn’t have a concrete plan of moving to New York. It was always just a dream.

Well of course, life takes you in crazy directions without any warning. I can’t complain, life is good and it’s been good to me. I’ll just say that staying here in Los Angeles and going to community college was more realistic for me at the time so that’s exactly what needed to happen.

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I was focused on where I was and not where I wanted to be.

Once I started community college, things got a little weird for me. I was struggling in school, I felt a huge amount of anxiety and soon enough my reality slapped me in the face and I stopped dreaming about moving to New York. I even stopped thinking about visiting. I’m currently 23 years old and I’ll be 24 in January so although I don’t think I’ll be moving to NY within the next year, I have made it my business to visit in January.

Full- disclosure, Hannah and I both had the same dream of going to school in New York once we graduated from high school. We just wanted to move away (not together because hadn’t met yet) and creating a life that we wanted in this big beautiful city.

Well, I’m finally visiting New York after dreaming about visiting for over half of my life!

I thought I would be living in New York at 23 but visiting for the first time feels like a huge landmark for me. It’s so small but following your dreams, no matter how small is major. The last 5 years have been filled with me trying to achieve goals big and small and reaching those goals have improved my confidence and quality of life.

I am secretly hoping New York becomes my second home because I plan on visiting a lot more after January!

Peace & love,

Ariana