Everything you know about New York City is true: crowded, fast-paced, and vibrant. The same goes for the residents who live there: they are busy, they are never busy, they are always engrossed in what is going on in their lives. I take comfort in this great paradox of New York—being surrounded by others and experiencing this unspoken sense of collective belonging even when completely alone. So, as someone who has lived here for over a decade, I know it takes a lot of effort to break that barrier, reach out to a complete stranger, and burst the bubble of our respective existences.
