I don't even know where to begin...
If you would have asked me in high school what I wanted to do with my life - I wouldn't have been able to give you a straight answer. Even after my first year at Dixie. I hated that it seemed like everyone around me had their life figured out. What they were going to major in, where they were going, or were planning on serving a mission. Moving home after that first year at Dixie was one of the hardest times in my life and the few years to follow weren't the best. I mean, I was happy, yes! I had a great job with people that became some of my closest friends still. I didn't have to pay rent, or worry about bills, I just had to focus on me. But still everyone around me seemed to be moving forward. And I felt stuck. I couldn't figure out what I wanted to do.
When I first heard about moving to New York I was like woah that would be way fun - but it seemed too good to be true.But I went for it, and I am so glad that I did. I can't thank Heavenly Father enough that he gave me the best opportunity of my life. I no longer felt stuck. I had a purpose. I wasn't sitting at a 9-6 job at the age of 20. I WAS MOVING TO NEW YORK!
I don't even know if I can put into words my experience over the last 18 months. But I can tell you this, it has changed me for the better. I have learned so much about myself. I feel like the same Corinne for sure but I feel like after tackling this big scary world by myself I can do anything! I have seen so many amazing things out here and met some of the best people. My faith in humanity has been strengthened so much. I wish I could list all the amazing people I have met and the experiences I have witnessed. This world we live in is not bad. There are good people everywhere and I found a lot of them in New York.
New York will always hold such a special place in my heart. It made me grow up, take risks, experience things I never thought I would. I have tried weird foods, and eaten at the best bakeries EVER. I have seen so many amazing Broadway shows. Seen some of the most beautiful views - may it be the New York Skyline or the Forests of Connecticut or the Ocean or just the ways the trees change in the fall. I have taken adventures I never thought I would take. I was able to go to Palmyra and witness the Hill Cumorah Pageant. I was able to see family upstate. I was able to go see Boston and DC and parts of this country I never even dreamed of going to - let alone live in!
I can't even begin to explain the friendships I have made out here. When you are out here on your own your friends become your family. And they are the best friends I have ever made. And I am so glad I got to share all these adventures with all of them! I am so happy that I got to be a part of one of the best Single's Wards I have ever been a part of. That ward really was my family and I couldn't have made it through the tough times without them. The times I was homesick I turned to them because they knew exactly what I was going through. Some of these friendships I will cherish for a life time. These people will be with me wherever I go. I am lucky enough that some of them will be with me in real life too as we take our next steps.
I still don't know what I am doing with my life, I still don't know what I will major in, or really what my life has in store for me. But I can tell you this, New York has given me a whole new perspective on life and I am ready to tackle the next chapter. I know it will be hard. I will miss New York. I will miss being so close to so many opportunities. But New York has also taught me to look for things. I feel like there are hidden gems all over this country and now I am going to go find them. When you grow up somewhere you don't look for the adventures that are around you and now I am going to go find those adventures!
I have to pinch myself sometimes to remember to thank Heavenly Father for this adventure. I am SOOO grateful for the chance I had to come out to New York. I will be grateful everyday for the rest of my life. I have made some of the best memories here. I am so ready to tackle this world (one step at a time!)
New York, I will always love you.
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