Let the Adventure Begin … Tomorrow!

Tomorrow! Tomorrow! I love ya, tomorrow! My apologies. I’m prone to bursting into Little Orphan Annie’s theme song today, knowing that tomorrow — tomorrow! — is the official date of departure for my foray into location independence. Yup, in 14 hours, we’ll hit the road, not as New Yorkers leaving on a trip, but as digital nomads creating our new lifestyle.

While today marks the edge of something new, what I’ve been quiet about until now is that the actual adventure began on December 31st, when we packed up our apartment, moved all our worldly goods into storage, and set off for our first (of what will surely be many) sublets in Chelsea.

One look at the apartment’s hardwood floors, exposed brick wall and fireplace left me feeling very Sex in the City. Then one sorry day I saw a cockroach run across my bed, and, well, the romance pretty much died. Lest you wonder, roaches do not equal sexy.

Lesson learned: old brownstones are charming … at first glance. They also are, well, old. And apparently dirty in places you never knew could gather dirt. That said, the neighborhood totally rocked.

The foray into charming, if over-priced and small, Manhattan brownstones lasted a mere month. Next stop: a fab apartment across from the United Nations. The space will handily rank as the largest condo I’ll have the privilege of living in in New York City, unless the market for digital nomads suddenly BLOWS UP bigtime and I find myself quite literally movin’ on up, to the east side.

Our stay here has been blissful, and a chance to breathe as we have mentally prepared for tomorrow — tomorrow! — and the road trip south to Miami.

Now, here I am, staring at our worldly goods stacked in boxes before me. Considering it’s all I’ve thought about for the last 2 months, I’m still struck by disbelief that this moment is finally here. I mean, what will tomorrow night feel like, when I know I won’t be sleeping somewhere familiar? When I’m unable to make dinner plans with friends? I’ve been down this road before, yes, but somehow, this feels different than the last journey.

Saying goodbye to the people I love here in New York has proven to be so hard and so sad, and yet, such a gift, as it offers me a tangible realization of the life I’ve been so fortunate to build here.

As I sit here typing, I’m scared. I’ve got a case of butterflies thumping in overdrive in mah belly. But I can pause, take a deep breath, and know I’m not leaving this city that I struggled so hard to love simply to get the hell out. Hugging friends goodbye, visiting places that have been ingrained into my routine just “one last time,” has been poignant. And I know when the time is right, I’ll be back.

For now, there’s a box of road trip snacks distracting me in the kitchen. And a million new experiences to be created. Tomorrow.

It’s go time.

Enjoy What You Just Read? You might also like:

Passenger Conners, Part Deux: Aw, YEAH, Location Independence “For the Adventure of Being Alive” The Wheels on the RAV Go ‘Round and ‘Round I Remember Who I Am