Sean Johnson - Intentionally - The Education of Sean Johnson

Funny how you don’t appreciate things until they’re (almost) gone.

When I left Colorado I was so ready. I had spent my entire life there, was sick of seeing the same people every time I went anywhere, was sick of the lack of diversity and the lack of a big, ambitious young business climate.

These days I pine constantly for mountains, for a lifestyle that allows one time to think, fosters an appreciation for relationships more than possessions and reflection over constant distraction. I speak very fondly of the state I was itching to leave.

I’ve railed against New York for various reasons over the past two years, and all of those thoughts persist (it is impossible to be alone with your thoughts. It is impossible to not become desensitized to everything going on around you, impossible to not get in the habit of walking as briskly as possible, head down, ignoring the amazing architecture and the people along your way.)

But….there’s so much energy in this place. It is a city full of millions of young, talented people who want their lives to mean something. They have different ideas of what that means, different goals, different values. But it seems the common thread among them is an understanding that their lives are about more than having a crappy job and a crappy relationship. They seem hell-bent on making something out of their lives.

I think I will miss this place. I’ll miss the hundreds of corner delis, with their $2.00 egg sandwiches on rolls and their random selection of appliances and the $3.00 umbrellas instantly available whenever it rains. I will miss being able to step outside my door and have a few dozen fantastic dining options within a one-block radius. I will miss being able to pop into some random bar with live music…by some guy who’s won a dozen or so Grammy’s.

I’ll probably even miss the ridiculous outfits, the huge boots and the huge sunglasses, the tiny purses with the tiny yipping dogs. I’ll miss the trips to the airport at 5 in the morning, seeing hundreds of people still out from the previous evening on the way.

So much energy. So much passion. So much life.

I will miss you, New York. Sorry about all those things I said behind your back.

Gotta do something about the rat problem though.