The simple question of “where are you from?” has always been difficult for me to answer. I left my country of birth when I was a small child and have since only been back once. I have no connection, emotionally or physically, to the land of my citizenship, yet it is an essential part of my identity. As I grow older, I am slowly beginning to realize how significant my passport is to my life. Over the past couple of months it has caused me much annoyance, fear, stress, and complications. Complications which have led me to the decision to leave New York for a few months. It was a tough decision to make, but I believe it is for the best. Under my current visa, I am only allowed to work in a certain field. As I am looking to change directions and explore new options, I am unable to stay here legally. I was nervous that I may have to return to my foreign homeland, but fortunately I will be with my family in Korea. I’m excited to go back to Seoul and spend some quality time in the city I grew up in. There will be some big changes in my life soon so I am actually very thankful that I am have to temporarily leave the U.S.
As a good bye gesture, my friends and I decided to take a little one day road trip outside of the city. We planned to go to East Hampton, but ended up much closer to Manhattan than expected. This past Sunday was apparently the worst day to choose for driving. A cycling race and parade blocked off a few major roads and we had a hard time leaving the city. When we finally did, we were exhausted and hungry, so we decided to go to Long Beach instead. It was beautiful, sunny, and absolutely perfect for a picnic lunch.
…