location location location

2026-07-11

I thought New York City(nyc) was the greatest city in the world before I moved there.

Actually, I was quite depressed when I first arrived in August, 2023 because it didn’t meet my expectation at all! The streets were dirty, people were rude & loud, I felt like a subway rat, don’t know where I belong.

I was lowkey pissed, thinking if it’s the greatest city in the world, then people must have no taste. And I was not happy with the fact that I’m gonna spend the next 2 years on Roosevelt Island. A place with overpriced groceries, and the majority population was white.

It felt like a utopia, but in a bad way. No diversity at all. The traffic was not convenient, people were like-minded, I bought a bike for commute, took me 20ish minutes to get out of RI alone.

I moved to queens at the beginning of my second year of grad school. Where I felt like living instead of surviving.

I lived in Elmhurst for 13 month, the food was incomparable there. And I got to read Chinese magazines/ books at Elmhurst library, felt so good to see my culture thriving in different lands. Instead of trying to be an abc-wannabe, I was very content with what I had.

Location is very important for me, it decides who I get to interact with, what food/ information I consume, what community I’m in. I’m grateful for queens, it’s very culture rich, and nourished me in every possible way.

After moving to Tampa, I was bored as hell at first, but as I gradually blended in, I found the local lifestyle fulfilling. I go to beaches whenever I can, go paddle boarding & kayaking & road trips on weekends, go to the gym 3 times a week. Ironically, after 3 car accidents (including one totaled my car), I felt like a Tampa/ Florida local than ever.

When I post something like “in my next life, I can be a happy middle-to-low class american in a small town near the sea”. People started to talk shit in the comment section, saying that class/ social status is the most important thing of all, why can’t I dream big if I’m dreaming blah blah blah. They were judgmental for a stranger they know 0 background knowledge with, hope they can do better with life.

Happiness is a very subjective thing, I hope everyone can find where they can be the most authentic selves, and love & give back to the local community. Different places mean different lifestyle, give them a try and see where life takes you!