Photo Diary: New York City

It only makes sense to share some moments from New York City.

At the time of writing, the United States is experiencing a lot of division and confusion during the COVID-19 pandemic. People are struggling to stay together within their communities and their states—and stay sane while staying in their homes.

Although most states are making the best decisions for their constituents, the leadership from New York state has been the most reassuring to Americans across the country. New York has experienced the highest number of coronavirus cases, yet at the same time, it is the brightest beacon of hope in the United States.

Fact: I’ve never lived in New York City, but I would love to one day—even if for a short while.

Why?

Many reasons lure me to live and work in New York City, but it comes down to two things.

Nothing rivals the New Yorker’s need for speed and artful grit.

The entire world, including the City That Never Sleeps, might be moving a bit slower at the moment, but that grit—the determination to make it through anything with the eternally optimistic, American spirit—persists more than ever.

Maybe I’ll be fortunate to have some of that magical New Yorker grit rub off on me one day.

Until then, New York City, I can’t wait to walk through your streets, wander around the next museum exhibit, struggle to flag down my next cab, and eat dinner at my favorite place with my favorite people.

Fact—we treat whatever our normal is for granted.

Our routines. Our habits. Our surroundings. Our access to whatever we simply can’t imagine not having access to.

Fact—normal looks different for each person.

A number of elements compose your sense of normal. Who you are, what you do, what you believe, how you live, wherever you live, where you want to go…

Fact—there is nothing normal with what is happening right now.

We’re redefining our sense of normal by the hour. We don’t know when we’ll be able to fold back into our old normal—or if we’re ever going to get back there again.

We could panic. We could try to ignore the facts. We could run around our homes screaming mad, alone, or in the company of the people in your home. And now that we’ve been experiencing the historical moment of COVID-19 for nearly two months, we’ve probably done all of the above.

The truth is that we’re left with one real choice—adapt to a new normal with grace and look forward to a better future with hope.