flâneur

On Settling Down - by Steven Schlafman

wheretheroadbends.substack.com · 2,279 words · saved by 1 readers

After decades of running, I finally found what I've been looking for.

It was a strange day to bid farewell to New York City, my home for more than fifteen years. It's where I met Eliza, where we became parents, where I got sober, and where I unraveled decades of socialization to discover myself. I have a deep love and reverence for the city—it’s a part of me. As we packed our belongings in the car and prepared to say goodbye to the life we built there, the universe painted a surreal scene. The burnt orange skies glowed darkly above me, the acrid scent of smoldering soot permeated the air, every breath stifled. The smoke and haze enveloped the buildings and…

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