What Means Living Alone, in a City of 8 Million People

Yes, New York City is “made” by over than 8 million people that every day make this city a unique, stunning, and controversial place to live in. And if you ask to Neyorkers why they love their life here – “the craziness of New York” would be probably the answer.

Of course, among Newyorkers you can find people born and raised here, as well as the so-called “Newyorkers by adoption”: I am one of the last ones. I moved here by myself and I am still living by myself. Is it hard sometimes? Yes. Mostly after hard days, when you come back home and nobody is waiting for you – except your mind and your thoughts. Is it also one of the best gift life can give you? Yes. Because you have more chances to meet people, stay in touch with each one of them, and knowing them better.

Here in New York, relations go faster and deeper: time runs faster, life runs faster, people run faster. The result is a vortex of emotions and feelings that sometimes you can’t explain with words, but you can just express with actions. Especially the people that choose New York as their home, have incredible stories to tell you – or rather, adventures. People’s life stories will be your bread and butter.

This environment allows you to open your mind and crash into situations that you would never expect: at the same time, your easygoing attitude grows – sometimes you have no chance. Together with your attitude, your soul opens to other people in a different way: less rationality, more irrationality. Both in a personal and professional life, you are more inclined to have a confrontation with people, while remaining in your position because hey, here people have opinions and it requires you have your own opinion as well – if you want to succeed, of course.

Having said that yes, living alone is sometimes so hard – both in a material and immaterial way. Sharing the apartment with someone means to pay less, having someone ready to go out with means to feel alone definitely less, being supported by someone gives you a breath of energy. Let’s face it, sometimes we just need someone that tells us “Hey, everything will be okay” – that “someone” for me, was a stranger on the subway on several occasions. But at the end of the day, living alone is a way to push your creativity out, is a way to increase your will in talking with people and createing opportunities to share moments together. Collect moments, not things – makes the difference.

Sara Belligoni

“[New York is] a concrete jungle where dreams are made of…“