I'm not built for NYC - by Jacky (: - Self-Love Rituals

I moved here after traveling around China & Hong Kong, attempting to recover from the deep burnout I experienced after the most frantic (but fulfilling) summer of my life. Every time I'm sad about NYC, it's for the same reasons — I feel like this city inhibits people from having deep friendships or an actual community. It's similar to how I felt in Shanghai — something about these cities makes everything feel transient and urges you to close in on yourself. I don’t like the version of me that’s in this city. So much of my effort is seeped into doing simple things like scheduling dinner. I feel lonely not because I’m alone. The irony is that I have many friends here, yet NYC makes me feel lonely. There’s also plenty of opportunities to make new friends, but I don't need that to feel less lonely. I just want the friends I already have to treat me like a friend. But at the same time, I can't fault them. Everyone has good excuses for why they can't do something. It makes everything feel so

I moved here after traveling around China & Hong Kong, attempting to recover from the deep burnout I experienced after the most frantic (but fulfilling) summer of my life. Every time I'm sad about NYC, it's for the same reasons — I feel like this city inhibits people from having deep friendships or an actual community. It's similar to how I felt in Shanghai — something about these cities makes everything feel transient and urges you to close in on yourself. I don’t like the version of me that’s in this city. So much of my effort is seeped into doing simple things like scheduling dinner. I feel