New York State of Mind

“Remember, remember always, that all of us, and you and I especially, are descended from immigrations and revolutionists.” Franklin D. Roosevelt

The people I meet love to tell me they are American but also from other places. They are proud of their heritage, drawing lineage from maybe two to three different countries stretching from disparate areas around the globe.

The strength of this country is that it is first and foremost about an idea, that we can come from all four corners of the globe, yet become one nation and live our own version of the American dream.

Victoria’s secret, Hollister, Abercrombie & Fitch, AMC 25 movie theatre and the Empire State Building. Apart from throngs of eager tourists, what did all of these New York businesses have in common this past summer? Bedbugs.

Last Saturday morning I woke up with seven bites, 4 on my left arm, 1 on my right and 2 on my face. I quickly established after moving to the United States that mosquitoes are big fans of Irish blood, but this really was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

I get bitten a lot, I have tried everything to stave off the nasty critters but few things seem to work. So as I strolled into my moonlighting gig as a weekend bartender on Saturday night, with an arm the size of Popeyes and a swollen face, I was none too impressed.

One year ago today I boarded a plane in Dublin, JFK bound for what I thought was going to be a year abroad. One year to garner some experience, broaden my horizons and leave an economic storm in Ireland behind me.

Five jobs and 365 days later I’m still here with no inclination to return home. With everything this great city has to offer is it any surprise the one resounding sentiment among my Irish comrades here is our joint distaste at the prospect of returning to our great Emerald Isle.
Not because we don’t love our home, but because of the lives we have built here for ourselves that we don’t want to abandon just yet.

Bad news travels across the waters that things at home haven’t drastically improved. Our banking system remains in dire straits, as unemployment grows and every day more and more people make the decision to leave.