A LETTER TO NEW YORK CITY

On break in NYC with college friends in February 2001

before I moved there on September 1, 2001.

September 11, 2010

Dear New York City,

In 2001, you welcomed me into your 10019 zip code and kept me connected to my friends and family through your famous 212 area code.

Together we experienced the life altering and history changing effects of September 11th. After which many chose to, understandably, end their relationship with you, but I kept my feet firmly planted on your prevailing pavement and stood tall for all the people and buildings that, sadly, no longer could.

You were nothing short of amazing to me, and your undeniable source of energy, which is continually present in your city that never sleeps, encouraged me on a daily basis to keep going. You are a classic city, where few are lucky enough to live, and a city that I truly believe will stand the test of time, and in some cases already has.

In the subtlest way, you teach people that when they hit a crack in the sidewalk, a symbolic detour if you will, they must keep moving forward, in your fast paced city, and find a way around it. It is this very subtle, but valuable, life lesson that is learned quickly, and builds character and strength in the residents of your unbreakable city.

"If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere" is one of your tag-lines from a lyric in "New York, New York" by Frank Sinatra written in 1979, which also happens to be the year I was born. A phrase which rings true because one needs to work extremely hard in order to truly live, and make a living, in NYC.

However, it is through hard work that things will pay off in the end, and is where you will find all it takes to "make it," whatever "making it" is to you. Therefore, if you can do just that in your city, which is in my eyes one of the greatest cities in the world, you really can "make it" anywhere.

That said, at the end of 2003, I willingly chose to pack up my things and myself and move 2,780.82 miles across the country to another well-known city, Los Angeles. A place that offered warmer weather year round and arguably more opportunity, career wise, for an actor.

However, I didn't much care for the city at first. Mostly because it was such a change for someone who considers herself an east coast girl at heart. The people, architecture and pace are as opposite, in a good or bad way depending on what you prefer, as one could get from your fine city of Manhattan, and as for seasons...well, there aren't any.

Oh and while I am on this topic, CA seems to have never grasped the every other car merging technique that your city has mastered.

Nevertheless, it did slowly grow on me, and the weather truly cannot be beat. Plus, being the relatively, or as some might say overly, happy and positive person that I am, the constant sunshine only added to my new found, let's say respect for my new city.

Additionally, there is something to be said about waking up almost daily to a clear sky, and by clear in this sense, since it is LA after all, I mean not a drop of rain in sight. Seeing that I am sure you have heard of the infamous smog out here! ;)

All that aside, today is September 11th, once again, but with the "0" and "1" in 2001 reversed, making it 2010.

Every year on this day, I am filled with emotion, though more prominent some years than other years, like this year when I began reading the entry I wrote about my experience living through it all in NYC on that very day.

You see, I had written it all down shorty after it happened, in order to look back and remember my experience in the years to come. However, I was, at that moment of reading through it again, suddenly hit with emotion I had no control over, which is rare for me and prompted me to write this letter you.

I wanted to make sure you know that even though time has passed, I have grown and inevitably changed since that tragic day 9 years ago and my moving away from your city, I have not forgotten about you! If anything, I am reminded of you more strongly on a daily basis, especially today.

So, today I am thinking of you and sending my best to you and all those who still, or currently, call you home. As well as those still feeling the affects of the day for which you took a history changing hit.

Please stand as tall as ever today, and remember you are loved and still have plenty of sweetness left in your apple, from which so many still hope to take a bite.

With love and smiles,

Side note: I will be back to fun, affordable fashion blogging and things tomorrow and thank you for letting me share this little letter! :)