This post has been a few months in the making. And typing this out is both exciting and uncertain all at once. Exciting because I’m ready for a new season, but uncertain because there are so many unknowns.
New York has been the wildest ride of my life so far. I moved here in the Spring of 2014 to attend Columbia in hopes of becoming a Nurse Practitioner. Never did I think I would be here almost four years later….and certainly not four years later and married.
There is no other way to describe the last four years here other than a rollercoaster. I didn’t write about this on the blog much, but in the winter of 2014 after 8 months in New York I had made the decision to transfer to Emory in Atlanta to complete my MSN and become a dual Family NP and Nurse Midwife. For multiple reasons I pulled out from my admission in the spring of 2015 and continued at Columbia. One of those main driving factors though was that New York was really really hard for me.
Things got better, I fell into a really good community, found a great church and later down the road ended up meeting Nick. There were definitely really high points even though New York gave me a run for my money every day. I have had so many amazing experiences here and that’s how I want to remember my time here. Not the waterfalls of tears I’ve cried on the subway.
For some people, New York City is the best fit. They thrive here. For others, New York just doesn’t fit.
But even though I know that I do not fit with New York and I don’t fully thrive here, I know that I’m really thankful for this season. I have found the most meaningful friendships in this place. I met my husband here. I’ve been surrounded by people who are so different in their beliefs and passions, yet similar in their all-in, sold out ambitious spirits.
Nick enjoys the city much more than I do. New York is exhilarating, full of opportunities and diversity and culture and has taught me so much about character and resilience and grace. But there are a lot of days where it leaves me feeling overwhelmed, anxious, exhausted, suffocated and yearning for more familiarity. I desire a smaller place with a slightly slower place where I feel like I can breathe a little more freely.
I have so much more to write about my time in New York. And I will. But over the past several months Nick and I have realized this is not where we will thrive together long term. And I personally, don’t feel like I am fully myself here. And that’s not a good feeling.
It’s really hard to leave New York. There is a huge part of me that wants to be one of those people who thrives in this crazy city and soaks it up for all it has to offer. But I know that’s my ego speaking. And what my soul really needs is a new season in a place that has more space and nature and fewer crowds, but still offers all the things we do love about urban living.
And so…we are moving to Boston!
…like next month. If all goes as planned, we have a tentative move date for Thanksgiving weekend.
While it feels scary (making all new friends feels a lot more intimidating at 28 than 24!) and unknown in a lot of ways, both Nick and I feel really excited for this transition.
The doctor I work for has been so gracious. SO gracious. I cried in his office two months ago as I told him we were looking to move. His response was more than kind. It feels really sad to leave a job I love and with people I really love working with, but I know this is best. It feels really right.
So there is a lot of unknown. I have plans to write more and as all these uncertainties get worked out I’ll keep you guys posted. 🙂
Thanks for sticking with me through what has been a year of many transitions and learning experiences! I hope you guys have an awesome weekend <3
Welcome to Boston! I live on the South Shore about 30 miles south of the city. I’m looking forward to seeing Boston through your eyes.
Oh my gosh, I was not expecting Boston! Haha I thought you’d say Charlottesville! BUT I LOVE BOSTON!!! My aunt lives there and I’ve gone to visit her several times. It’s such a fun city but definitely calmer than New York. I’m so excited for you!! What a fun adventure. I hope your move goes smoothly!
I 100% thought it was going to be Charlottesville also!
It was between the two! They are SO different but alike in some ways too…Boston won for many reasons that I’ll share later 🙂
Boston is awesome and SO MUCH FUN! Much less overwhelming than New York! So excited for you!
I lived in Boston for two years and it truly is the best city! I hope you enjoy every minute of one of my favorite places. Good luck on moving and enjoy the transition!
Congratulations on your move! How exciting! I hope that you love all of what Boston has to offer! I live about 20 miles west of the city and commute in for work. Can’t wait to see all of your Boston adventures!
I AM SO HAPPY I COULD CRY!!!!! My cousin Amy Who I’m sure is reading this comment right now and I love you and your blog!!! We will Be new Boston friends for you 🙂 and introduce you to all the great food!! Also such amazing hospitals and healthcare settings for your line of work 🙂 so excited for you and to hopefully become your friend!! Xoxo
Yay for Boston!!! I just moved to the Boston area this fall! Sending you so much love and positive energy as you navigate this bittersweet transition 🙂 Excited to see what’s in store for you and maybe meet you in real life!
I live 25 minutes from Boston’s and it’s the best!!! Not too busy like nyc and the food is amazing!!!
I moved to Boston 7 years ago and absolutely love it! You will too! You get the big city, cultural feels but on a much smaller scale than New York!
I’m so excited for your new adventure. I have been a reader for years and am inspired by your posts. I have lived right outside of Boston my entire life and it is such a wonderful place to be, welcome!!
Wow! Boston is about 2 hours from me, I live in Maine! I have a feeling you and Nick will love Boston. Congratulations and pack your snow gear 😉
Haha we need to buy more snow gear! This year I may learn to ski 🙂
Yay!!! Boston is so much calmer than NYC. So much charm! I live about 30 miles southwest of Boston so incredible excited to see posts about restaurants and eats inside Boston that I haven’t tried! So excited for you.
Boston is SO fun! My husband is from MA and we both went to college there, so we have lots of friends in the greater Boston area, and even on the Cape. It’s a very young city– I’m sure you’ll make friends just fine. I do know the anxiety, though– my husband and I relocated last year and we’re still kind of on the hunt for a group (we’re also 28 and we find ourselves racking our brains as to how we made friends ever!!). Why is it so hard (weird to say, especially hard when you’re married)?? I think you two are more outgoing than we are, though, so I’m sure you’ll be great. Best of luck in one of the greatest cities in the U.S.!
Haha I feel you on how it can sometimes be harder to make friends married vs single!
Yay! So happy for you. Hope it’s a great move for you & Nick!
I’m really happy for you all and will be praying for a peaceful transition!
Are you worried your husband is going to be bored if he loves NYC?
Neither of us are concerned about that at all. There are lots of cities outside of NYC that have plenty to do and engage in.
Yay for Boston! I’m a blow in to Boston too – moved when I was 26 (single and intimidated about making friends also!) and now 30 (married and settled) and still loving it. We live right in the south end. All the best for your move!x
Congratulations! Is it easy to transition your NP position? You’ve already had two jobs in a year, and I didn’t know how people saw that kind of thing on a medical resume. My husband and I just moved to Northern New Jersey, and apparently they take ages to give out RN licenses. Meanwhile, I have started thinking about NP school (I’ve been a peds/NICU nurse for about 4 years and am always thinking about getting out of the hospital for a better lifestyle), but I don’t have a network here. Networks seem to be the only way people get good medical jobs! I’d love your advice/opinion! You seem like a very efficient decision maker!
I’ll be getting a new NP position in the new year. I’m not really concerned with my resume – it’s my first year as an NP and it’s not uncommon to be figuring out what you like best and where you fit best. Have a connection definitely helps!
Welcome to Boston!!! I live in a suburb outside of the city but I lived in the city for about 5ish years. I always say how manageable the city feels, and how less stressful it is than other cities! So excited to see all of your Boston adventures! Congratulations!
Hey congrats! Kudos for going after a change that will hopefully make you guys much happier. 🙂
My husband is interviewing for jobs and one of them is actually in Boston, so I may be moving there sometime in the next year as well. Life transitions!
I’m so excited you’re moving to Boston! I had a similar experience with NYC and the difference is so stark between the two, it’s amazing. I’ve been here over a year and really love it…it has all the parts of a city that you need and want, but feels like a small town somehow. Plus, New England foliage doesn’t hurt. And soooo many delicious restaurants. Welcome, in advance! Can’t wait to recognize parts of the city in your posts 🙂
That’s so good to hear –> how much you are enjoying Boston vs NYC! Hopefully we will bop into each other 🙂
I live in Canada and have traveled a couple of times to the states. The last time I fell in love in Boston! I absolutely adored it and it’s the first city my boyfriend and I agreed on! Good luck with your move.
SOOOOOO happy for you Robyn!!!! It has been clear that NYC was not your soul place…I kept waiting for the news you would be moving back to Charlotteville ;)…but this is a perfect start for you and Nick. Boston is so amazing and I am sure you will find a like minded community of friends before you know it. Lots of luck in these coming weeks 🙂
It was between Cville and Boston 🙂
Ah congrats Robyn! I’ve been reading your blog for YEARS but I don’t think I’ve ever actually commented before. You’re such a breath of fresh air in the blog world and I’m so happy for you! I moved to Boston a little over a year ago and while it took time to adjust, it’s such a perfect size for city. It’s not as overwhelming as big cities like New York and definitely has some of the small town charm. You’re going to love living here!
Thanks for commenting Sarah! 🙂 I’m excited to explore!
Long time reader—you will thrive! No doubt! Congrats on the new adventure!
Thank you Lisa!
Maybe I’m a little too invested in the lives of the bloggers I follow but I gave an audible “Ahh!” Of excitement reading the title of this post – congratulations!
I worked in Boston last summer and it definitely feels to have a much more manageable pace/ general feel than NYC – the history is special and the sports teams are fun!
hahah I love that you shared in my ahhhhh too 🙂
Oh my goodness!! I am so excited for you to move to Boston. I think you will love it here! I’m a student at Northeastern and I’ve loved my time living here. There’s definitely a smaller community feel here and a bit of a slower pace than in New York. I’m so happy for you & Nick and I love reading your blog. Best of luck to you in your transition!! Xoxo
Way to go Robyn! I know the decision to move is not easy, but you need to take care of yourself. If God has placed this on your heart, then trust that He will provide. My hubby and I just moved to a new city as well, and while it seemed crazy and I was unsure if it was the best, I now see how it was the best decision for us. I’m excited to follow along with your move! Thank you for everything you do!
That’s encouraging Katherine so thank you for sharing!
I resonate so much with everything you say about city living. I LOVE the joys of meeting new people and having friends, but my soul loves the quieter, slower with a little bit of exploring and finding new places to eat and new people to meet. It sounds like Boston will be such a good fit for you and Nick, and I am so thankful that the Lord sustained you all 4 years of your time there in NYC and brought you an awesome husband like Nick.
<3 <3 thank you Emily
Yayyy for Boston! I grew up in MA and absolutely love that city. I’ve been in NYC for 10(!) years, and hope that one day soon live rearranges itself a bit and I wind up in Boston. Good luck on your move, I know you will love Boston!
I love Boston so much! I totally get what you’re saying about NYC and your ego, though–I was in a similar place some years ago and ended up choosing a different city that felt more “me,” and it was 100% the right call. But I definitely struggled with the, “But I should love NYC!” feeling.
I must say that I’m jealous of your move! I have lived in NYC for the past 6 years and it has never felt like home. I’m from Florida originally but work has brought me here and I also met my BF here who is a Brooklyn native. Good luck on your next journey and hopefully we all find the places we were always met to end up!
that can be hard to find a middle ground for you both …hopefully you can find rest and more slowness in BK 🙂 Thinking of you!
I have been reading your blog for years and never commented but I have to on this post! I’ve been living in Boston for 6 years and you are going to absolutely love it!! Good luck with the move.
Reading you describe your experience with New York really resonated with me, and I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who feels that way about NYC. I only lived there 3 months this summer for an internship, but I just couldn’t get why everyone loved the city so much. Yes, there were parts I LOVED. And there are parts I really miss now that I’m back home in Los Angeles. But similar to how you mentioned in your post, I just couldn’t handle not having nature and space, and the crowds just got to me. I felt depressed a lot because it just felt like a hard life. Anyway, thanks for always being so honest in your posts, and good luck in your new adventure in Boston!
you are so not alone hillary <3 hope you are enjoying LA 🙂
How exciting!!! God Bless you on your new move and all the changes. It is amazing how much you are able to accomplish- travel, moving, switching jobs. wow. you go girl!
thank you malerie for your kind words!
Yay! I think this will be such a good transition for you! I have to say, I live in Kentucky and New York would be an extremely difficult adjustment for me. I understand completely about what you’re talking about with slowing things down. I couldn’t imagine so many hours of my life being taken up on a subway train or something like that just to get from point a to point b. Congrats on your move and I’m looking forward to exploring a new place vicariously with you her eon the blog!
I think its the pace and hustle and crowds more than the commute but having easier commuters will be nice! thank you amber 🙂
So happy for you, Robyn!! I am also moving to Boston in a few weeks. I’ll keep my eye out for you!
we will be new together!
Yay!!!! Welcome to New England!!!
🙂
Congratulations!!!! We live in the suburbs of Boston and love it here! I hope you have a smooth transition and I can’t wait to read about your adventures here!
we have friends who grew up in the suburbs and love love love it!
So exciting! I live in Providence, RI, which is right down the road. Do you think you might be taking clients in Boston?
yes i Will!!
I LIVE IN BOSTON! 🙂 Born and raised… you will LOVE it here. So excited for you!!
hi hi hi caroline! <3
AHH Congratulations lady!! So proud of you and all you’ve accomplished. You are doing SUCH IMPORTANT WORK and you inspire my constantly!
Thank you Clare <3 Can't believe you're so far along in med school!!
Very happy for you 🙂 I know you comment about how taxing the city can be, so I am glad you are making a move that feels right! Excited to see what comes!
p.s. loved your Everyday Woman episode!
this move has been a longgggg time coming so I am so ready 🙂
Congrats on a big decision! I live in the Boston area (was in the city for 6 years before moving to the burbs with my husband). But i also lived in NYC right after college and left after 3 years (to go to SF, and then ended up Boston for grad school). I had so many of the same emotions – I didn’t like the NYC version of myself and was constantly stressed and overwhelmed. As much as it’s a fun and amazing city, I did not thrive there. Boston is much more manageable in my opinion (except for the winters!). Good luck with your move!
I can so so relate to you <3 I think we will love Boston so much!
Congrats! I visited Boston a few years ago and fell in love with it. I like a slower pace too (I’m from Nashville which is not nearly as urban as Boston, but it’s still got the best of both worlds, I think-city and country), but I left Boston thinking I could see myself living there. Going back to grad school put a wrench in any plans of moving, but maybe one day!
A good friend just moved to Nashville and loves it!
Ah! I’m a longggg time reader, first time poster but I couldn’t let this one go by without saying something. I live in Boston and am so excited you are moving to this beautiful city! Good luck with your move and the season of transition and I can’t wait to watch your adventures unfold here. Sending lots of love, Jessica
love first time commenters! thanks for reading jessica 🙂 <3
Congrats!! So excited for you and Nick as you enter this new adventure together!
So excited for you guys!!! I also find myself craving a slower life but at the same time wanting to be the person who can do it all. I love this line you wrote: “But even though I know that I do not fit with New York and I don’t fully thrive here, I know that I’m really thankful for this season.”. Great perspective that I need.
I live in this tension of a slow simple life, yet wanting to do all the things and not miss out all. the. time. It’s a process I’m continually working through
OMG y’all will be in my hometown!!!! Yayyyy you’ll love it SO much!!! <3 so excited for y'all! 🙂
You’re from Boston?! I never knew!
Woohoo!! Such exciting news, Robyn! Boston definitely has the city vibe without the hectic pace and massive scale of New York. Ive been here just over a year, and it’s been a lot of fun to get to know this city. Looking forward to having you here!
awww thank you Lindsey! <3
This is such an exciting time for you guys!! Boston is such a neat city. I’m actually going to be looking at colleges there soon! Wishing you and Nick all the best in your move 🙂 .
xxMeah
So fun! There are many great ones Meah!
I am so glad you made this decision! And let me tell you ( I moved away from the city in 2013 and come back to visit once a year), you will miss New York but you will enjoy to live some place where people don’t rush all the time. When you come back to visit, you will realize: wow, this is SO loud, ugh, the subway stinks. I still love New York though, very much, but it has been good to live somewhere else. Good luck with the move! you’ll do great!
i know there will be so many things I will miss but I probably won’t know what those are until we leave…but I’m trying to soak it up and not count down the days. thanks for sharing how you feel too!
So excited for this journey you’re transitioning into! Can’t wait to see what this new season brings you. Xoxo.
I’m so happy for you guys! I know my husband and I moved up to New York from South Carolina a little over a year ago for him to start grad school and I’m with you, New York isn’t for everyone. Though I agree, being here for what we believe will only be a season has been nice. Boston sounds so great, though. Hope the move goes well!
I lived in Boston for 5 years and just recently relocated with my boyfriend. It’s a great city!! We lived in Somerville which is such a great area for eating–let me know if you want my full list of recommendations. 😉 To start, I’d recommend Dali (Spanish tapas) and Sarma (Mediterranean) for nicer dinners and Rene’s Cafe for the best, most affordable eggs bene. Also, if you’re looking for a church community, I can’t say enough good things about Reunion; I love, love, loved that community and miss it dearly. Good luck!!
Awww Robyn I’m so so happy for you. New York will miss you terribly, but I always did feel that you weren’t your happiest there. Boston is an incredible city, and I can totally imagine you rocking it there. 🙂 Something I really love about your story is that you went so far out of your comfort zone when moving to NYC, you stayed true to your gut and your heart, and you stuck it out, and it led to your whole world changing. That is honestly my core belief about life; follow your heart, push yourself to greater heights, and amazing things will happen. Best of luck in this exciting transition!!!
WOW! SO crazy and so exciting!! New seasons are awesome 🙂 I hope Boston is a better fit for you! 🙂
sooo happy for you!! Boston will be so great! 🙂
I’m new to your blog but good luck with the move! It’s interesting to see you write about your New York experience and I can’t wait to hear more. I’ve never been there but it’s on my list to visit but I know it wouldn’t be a place I would be able to thrive either but boy do they make it look good in the movies. 🙂 Thanks for sharing; great read!
Oh, Robyn, I just now read this post…I would feel EXACTLY how you described if I tried to live in NYC (I’ve felt that way in DC in the past, just out of my skin and not myself), and I’m so happy to hear you’re moving. But I love all the opportunities and inspirations you found and gave to others while you were in NYC, too. Boston sounds exciting; can’t wait to watch how that story shapes. 🙂
I’m glad we are not alone Kate <3
yay!! I live in the Boston area- you will love it!
🙂
Hi! I just came across your blog/instagram only a few weeks ago, and just love your focus on women’s health. Being a Boston-based registered dietitian myself, I’m THRILLED to hear someone with your expertise is moving to our city! I can’t wait to hear what kind of work you’ll be doing. Also, MDA has a great network of young dietitians if you want to get involved there. And once you’re settled, if you’d like to grab coffee, don’t hesitate to reach out 🙂
Yay!! Welcome 🙂 I’m hoping to get a position in women’s health. Thanks so much with the warm welcome!!
incredible news! i think its so important and valuable you listen to your heart. you guys are going to be so happy 🙂 congratulations!!!
thank you Adrianna!