The Challenge

New York, I must admit to you: we have a love-hate relationship.

I adore so much of what makes this city one of the most beloved, but recently I've had to reassess my true emotions about living in this world. The crazy work hours, the weekend partying, terrible weather, the financial challenges... it can be taxing both physically and emotionally.

Then I get to thinking about how anything can happen here. It may sound cliche, but it's true. I'm at the center of it all and can't break away from the centrifugal force that pulls the eight million inhabitants to keep themselves in the game.

I'm constantly in awe that people make it here for years; to do so, though, I believe that you truly must have a love for other people.

I've found that I embrace the differences of each person. I've realized through careful observation of my own self that I love the heritage, language, religion, and structure of others. I actually cherish (some more than others) the unique characters that I meet on the street, in a cab, on the subway. I still think about people I meet months later.

The stories are endless. I've been introduced some of my best friends by being confined in small spaces with them and managing to survive. My work environment is top-notch, bringing together the best minds in public relations. With strangers, it fascinates me that I've made an entire subway car start laughing just from giggling and how I have been consoled when I cried on a street corner in broad daylight.

It's like we're all in it together - we live here. This is our city.

This is a place of extremes. There is no in-between, no indifference, no intermediate. No room for thinking about the what-ifs because this city never stops.

So it's time to forget the "maybes" and "what-could-bes."

Here goes, New York, I'm all in...