Me and my #1 bae, Audree. New York City wouldn’t have been the same without her this year!

It’s official – one year in New York City! This last year has been full of so much fun, the best food I’ve ever eaten, so much adventure, great people and incredible memories. I’ve grown so much at work, made an amazing group of girlfriends, settled into my apartment, found my favorite spots around the city and don’t feel like a tourist anymore.

Over the last year, I’ve been collecting some lessons about life in the city. I think the most hilarious thing is that a majority of them involve transportation. So much to learn there, hah! I can’t wait to see what year two brings.

10 Things I’ve Learned About Living in NYC

1. You will be spoiled with some of the best food in the entire world at your fingertips. (I’m looking at you Los Tacos No. 1 in Chelsea Market!)
2. Add 10 minutes to every directions you get from Google Maps. Everything ALWAYS takes longer.
3. You will do more online shopping than ever. (Hate you but love you, Amazon Prime!)
4. Crying in public actually feels so liberating.
5. Every street and avenue are filled with gems that you have to walk by to find out about. Take a different route as you’re walking to and from the same spots.
6. There are multiple exits that you can walk out of each subway station. Read your Google Maps directions to see which you need to exit to perfectly position you on your way. (You’ll also feel like such a rockstar when you master which one you should take for your most efficient exiting at frequent spots!)
7. Make your home an oasis. After a long day of the chaos in the city, there’s nothing more valuable than coming home to a quiet, cozy slice of the city that’s all yours.
8. The busses are completely underrated! Take them – it will save you so much time.
9. Try to do one new thing a week in the city – even if it’s something as small as walking into a new coffee shop or swinging into a cute bodega.
10. There will be days when the city drives you CRAZY, but then minutes later, something magical happens and you realize how much you love it.

Year two – let’s do this!!

Photography by Mason Huckabee.

Love food. Love self. Love life.
Gabriela