I’m literally just starting this journey of documenting and sharing my struggle to balance WHAT I love with WHO I love, and it’s just so ironic that we arrived in New York City today – the city that I love more than any other city on earth.
NYC is the city that takes my breath away and fills my heart like no other place does. It’s a city I walk into and immediately feel at home and excited and am filled with the most amazing memories…from my first paid dance job to our crazy shit-hole apartments to the love of my life proposing to me at the top of the Empire State Building. Yet, as my pregnant body (Si joint issues) limped from light to light, through Times Square, with my three-year-old son, I watched my son look with wide eyes upon the big buildings and flashing lights. And I realized that this beautiful, colorful, energizing city, in many ways, is too much for me right now and how content I am being away from this city for a while, so I can focus on raising and taking care of my family.
New York I do love you…but there is no balancing with you…I choose them.
Sara i loved this! In many ways I can relate.. I too LOVE NYC and truly believe it is the best city in the world ( this coming from a world traveler). Moving away from it was hard, staying away from it is even harder.. i get my fill when i can but my life now has taken a different path… NYC will always be my home but sometimes home isn’t a place.. its people..
Weeelll I disagree that you have to choose New York over your kids / family or vice versa. I have made a nice life for myself here by balancing “New York” with kids / family just fine. I know many other women who live here and also manage to balance it really well. …Some work professionally; others work at home being full time moms (with and without help). They all find ways to strike a balance! In fact, more and more couples are having three and four kids and NOT leaving the city– which even five years ago was not the trend. It is is possible! Remember– no one really LIVES in Times Square. ;-P
So true, Kathryn. I still call Chicago home because that’s where my parents are and the house I grew up in!
Hmmm, great points . . . maybe I should have said “I choose them . . . for now.” since we may choose to head back that way some day. I also think it has a lot to do with the type of work I do. I seem to be able to balance it better with a family out west. It’s sometimes like there is too much opportunity in NYC that I get overwhelmed and obsessed and it’s sometimes better, for me, to just be away from it so I don’t get distracted by it. And for what it’s worth, YOU do an amazing job – def one of my mommy role models. Thanks for the feedback, M Clark!