Today marks six years since I moved to New York! So many years, months, days, minutes spent here and yet it feels as though it has gone by in the blink of an eye. I still remember the one-way flight here like it was yesterday…

I treasure my life here in New York. It has been oh so challenging and hard at times but never so bad that I felt like leaving this fair city behind. It has changed me, shaped me, inspired me, moved me.

I still can’t fully put into words what this city means to me but it has made my last few years so memorable and it has continually given me many pinch me moments where I whisper to myself “I can’t believe I live here.” It has allowed me my most meaningful professional chapter and brought so many wonderful souls into my life. With every passing year I am more grateful for the chance to live here and be making life happen in this city that so many people dream about seeing and experiencing.

I still delight in the colorful murals, the newest Instagram-worthy spot, the latest food trend, the sweeping views from rooftops, the walks in Central Park, the musicians sharing their gift with the passerbys, the sunsets, the long weekends spent exploring with visitors, the charming brownstones, the friendly guys at my neighborhood bodega, the cobblestone streets, the museums, the brunches with friends that go on for hours, the perfectly tree lined streets of the West Village.

And for as much as I have done, as much as I have uncovered and explored…I still have so much left I want to see and experience. The bucket list I started in Google Docs when I moved here only seems to get longer the more years I spend here and I secretly love that. It means this city is still full of surprises left for me!

New York, thank you for giving me some of the best experiences, memories, friends and opportunities I couldn’t even have dreamt up if I tried.

You have charmed me and you’ll forever have my heart…

p.s. my favorite spring spots in the city & pieces of Paris in New York City.

[Bekka Palmer Photography]