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Find out more about Shiwani: Shiwani Srivastava is a freelance writer and a general wanderer (and wonderer) of the world. She lived in New York City for six years before moving to Seattle in 2005 to attend graduate school at the University of Washington. She currently lives in Seattle, but remains a Jersey girl at heart. |
Apologies for the long lag between posts, but I have something important to report: I think I'm falling for Seattle. The only problem is, I'm already in love with another city (you know, the one that never sleeps and makes pizza to die for).
People often ask me what it's like being a New Yorker vs. a Seattleite, adding that it must be nice to know and love two cities so well. But I wonder if it's possible to be truly bicoastal without feeling a little bipolar (or like you're in two relationships at once).
First, there's keeping track of important news and events in each city so you don't, say, bike naked through New York for the summer solstice or try hailing every yellow car that drives by in Seattle.
Then, of course, there's wearing appropriate attire. On days when I sport my "I love NJ" shirt, I'm always surprised to find how many people here hail from the Garden State. But the very same shirt on the N.Y. subway can (and did) spark a conversation ending with, "New Jersey can go %&@# itself."
Finally, there's trying not to over-idealize one city while you're spending time with the other. There's remembering that subfreezing winters aren't better than rainy ones; that the freedom of walking everywhere also makes it hard to escape the crowds; and that ubiquitous mountains and lakes are awe-inspiring in a different way than an impressive skyline or world-class museum.
Still, I feel like I'm cheating on New York. Then again, I'm not the first or last person to love N.Y. (I don't even own the t-shirt to prove it) and with the number of people that love it, sometimes the city just doesn't have enough love to give back.
But the more I allow myself to fall for Seattle, the more I challenge myself and get in return - I can live alone, have an herb garden on my balcony, fit guests in my apartment, recycle with ease, hike on the weekends, spend less of my life waiting in lines, and wake up to a view so beautiful, it reminds me how growing up, I never knew an American city could look like this.
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