I was looking through some of my old notebooks and I read about my desire to have a beach house lifestyle. I smirked, it made me remember for so long I was in a New York State of mind.
I fell in love with New York City, specifically Brooklyn, when I was 13 years old. I remember vividly riding in a multi passenger van with my cousins, grandmother, sisters, my mom, aunts and uncles to attend my aunt’s wedding. The wedding was inspired by African wedding traditions, the food had an Afro Caribbean vibe, and my favorite part, the gift for the guests was a love potion, with rose petals inside. I held on to mine for a really long time, the smell elicited a memory.
My aunt had a dope apartment right on Flatbush. We would walk to the bodega and I just soaked up the vibes, style, eccentricity and just overall dopeness of Brooklyn. When we left I told my mom, I was moving to New York one day, she just shook her head.
In my 20’s I walked the streets of New York with my iPod in hand, the original one. Listening to the sounds of Amerie, Goapele and a little Jay Z. I remember I would walk for hours getting lost in the music and the people. I loved the hustle and bustle, the diversity of people, the food, and the music. Riding on the subway was something I had only seen in the movies up until this point. If NYC was a drug, then I was hooked.
Living and working in NYC was an amazing experience. I met great people from all over the world, I got my hair done by the Dominicans, and I modeled in a fashion magazine. I learned many lessons, but here are some that stand out.
3 lessons I learned are:
1.True solitude; moving to New York by myself, meant I was alone most of the time. Dinners, shopping, movies, site seeing was just me. I became comfortable in my own skin. I realized that I loved my own company.
2. Self-confidence; I learned my likes and dislikes. I became confident being in a subway full of people. I learned how to let my presence be known and to stand up for myself.
3. Conversation; I learned how to hold meaningful conversation with people of all cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. From the fashion editor, to the janitor in my building.
I went to L.A. a few years ago and fell in love with Venice Beach. I was very surprised at how much I loved the laid back, chill vibe. It was the complete opposite of New York. Still eccentric, culturally diverse, colorful, but near the beautiful ocean. It was like the best of both worlds. During the visit my mindset about the kind of life I desired began to shift.
I realized that I was ready to bring in a new energy. A West Coast vibe. Relaxed and Creative, at least that’s what The Atlantic calls it. It’s time for a lifestyle change, a new, improved way of thinking. More flow and less grind. Being surrounded by beauty everyday.
Before a physical change can happen, the mindset has to change. For me I know that I can experience the “Relaxed and Creative ” vibes of the L.A. lifestyle without actually living there, but by changing my daily habits.
