Joan Diditon once wrote an essay giving her farewell to New York called Goodbye to All That. During my trip to New York, I found Goodbye to All That: Writers on Loving and Leaving New York edited by Sari Botton that collected articles from several writers. These articles, inspired by Ms. Diditon’s story, express their love and farewell towards this fascinating city. Maybe each of us has a small Goodbye To All That story in us, could be our home town, could be the city we studied in, or just a great visit to a metropolis or another hidden treasure from around the world.

Unlike many pieces of travel literature, Goodbye to All That: Writers on Loving and Leaving New York describes the emotions, passions, beliefs, and expectations that one has toward New York. While many have dreams in this city, the stories of saying goodbye to New York reveals the reality of living in this metropolis. And as many of us already know, the reality isn’t always beautiful and optimistic. Yet, the most interesting part would be the controversial feelings one has toward a city he or she once loved. The world is never just black and white, right or wrong is not always distinguishable. It is intriguing to see how different people live and interpret their experiences in this well-known metropolis.

(Photo credit: Goodbye to All That: Writers on Loving and Leaving New York)

My favorite piece among all is Someday, Some Morning, Sometime from Emma Straub. From her words, I relate with the love of a busy life in the city while craving for a minute of quietness and calmness at other places. Moving from Manhattan to Ohio countryside, back to Brooklyn and leaving for Wisconsin and then, at the end trip, going back to New York. Through this written piece the author tries to find a balance between the different needs and expectations of her life while trying to enjoy her time with her friends and family. However it is not always on her own volition to move here and there, she questions her choices from time to time as well just like many of us do in our everyday lives. Yet, she always finds a way to adjust her life to the most suitable statuses in order to face the different lifestyles she comes across.

Being able to relate with the essay, like many other city girls, I am used to a fast-living pace with numerous activities happening in town and enjoying various social calls with a different batch of friends. It is fascinating to have a busy schedule to meet and discover your surroundings. A big city is always vivid and energetic, the beautiful side of a city always tempts its inhabitants to go home at increasing late hours each day. When seeing tourists come and go, part of me feels secretly delighted that I am the one having a life in this beautiful city, owning a piece of it and knowing some fun local stories no visitors would ever know. However, sometimes I am eager to have a moment for myself away from the prosperous and occupied city life. Escaping from the usual noise and pressure of the city through a small “time-freezing break” helps one enjoy their life more.

Especially now, after I moved my entire life to the other side of the world, the impact on my life, the change in living styles and the different paces of the cities mesmerized me and helped rebuild my picture of the perfect lifestyle. By the end of this essay, I knew I wouldn’t be able to truly break away from living in a city just like Ms. Straub. Despite complaining about the over-busy schedule and too crowded streets, a big city is where our lives lie in, where our friends and families are and where we see our future can be built upon.

Everyone has feelings toward a city, a town or a neighborhood, where we feel comfortable to be at, where the most interesting events take place and where we develop our stories of life with loved ones. Goodbye to All that essays allow readers to discover their mixed feelings related to a place they enjoy, thanks to the stories marking how one decides to stay or leave. To me, a good book should communicate with readers not only by the stories themselves but also by their different interpretations. Goodbye to All That surely reached this goal and inspired readers to think about their relationship with the city they love and the life they crave for.

How many years does it take for a city to become home? I believe everyone has different answers to that question from Ms. Straub. To me, it is the people I meet at the place that matters. It is also every small occasion happened that builds my memory and understanding of the place. What would your answer be?