Happy Anniversary

It was a year ago today that my one-way ticket took me from MSP to JFK and I became a New York City resident. Don’t call me a New Yorker though. That term takes years to acquire. I think there are two elements (certainly more) that one must come to know before assuming the New Yorker label.
1) Geography. This city is so large. There are so many spots in the city that I haven't sufficiently explored. In Manhattan, I've never explored anything in detail above Columbia University at 116th St. The Upper West and East Sides remain vague to me. I can become lost in the maze that is the West Village, but that's a problem for a lot of people I suppose. Anything 9th Ave. and west is hazy to me. In the Bronx, I've only been to Yankee Stadium. My only time in Queens has been to travel to its outer fringe to the Queens County Courthouse for my old part-time job so I don't know what Astoria, Jackson Heights, or any of Queens’s incredibly diverse neighborhoods look like. In my borough, Brooklyn, I feel comfortable enough, though there's much more to see. And I've never set foot on Staten Island. It takes time, but I've got to see more of what's out there.
2) Change. The city is constantly changing. New restaurants, shops, and bars open and close all the time. Museum exhibitions come and go. Another skyscraper is built. The latest publicity stunt makes us laugh. The nation watches the drama of something like a transit strike unfold. A neighborhood is revitalized. These changes continue to captivate me like a tourist gawking upward at the tallest building he's ever seen. I'll always want to be captivated by what I see here, but there will come a time when I'll look at the latest change and it will be second nature to me. I’ll say, "Neat. Something new, and that's why New York is so great."
One bit of advice I would offer anyone wanting to move to New York–don’t think that your life here will be like Sex and the City's Carrie Bradshaw. In the series, it doesn't take much for Carrie to orgasm whenever someone says "New York City!" It can be easy to fall into this mind trap of thinking one will be sipping cocktails at the trendiest lounge every night, or that window-shopping on sunny days is done every weekend. Routine will always manage to creep itself into any life.
But I will admit that there is a magic to the city. A lot of it derives from the countless films, television shows, and writings that have become etched in our minds over time. These impressions have shaped my perception, but ultimately, the city just speaks for itself. Think about it. Eight million people live in the city proper. That’s Minneapolis times 21, Madison times 38, and Eau Claire times 130. They come from all over the world and have been doing so for a very long time. Look at how distinct each neighborhood is. The culture that is endlessly produced. Look at the landscape and remark that today's towering skyscrapers used to rest on farms and swamps. What an achievement New York is, and so great because it's a testament to what happens when we come together.
So I'm glad to be here. The city has grown on me and my love for it has increased since I arrived. Even though I've been here a year, I still feel like I'm just getting started, that there's just so much more to do. The daunting task is not knowing if it can all be done in a lifetime.