hamilton

In a city where the lights are always flashing, cars are constantly honking, and people will push you out of the way if you’re walking too slow, when do you really have the time to stop and actually think about what you’re doing and why you’re doing it? When do you have time to really stop and actually look around to see the beauty that surrounds you? When there’s so much to do, when do you ever have the time to do it all and let it all soak in? I’m sure one could make the time, and I know that there are more than a few that do, but the sad reality of the situation is that this is not the case for the overwhelming majority of NYC residents. Sad, but true.
This is a side of me that I discovered in Hamilton and could not have discovered anywhere else - the side of me that not only creates, but also appreciates, things that are of beauty and power. I’ve learned that it’s okay to walk like a normal person and that it won’t kill you to just lie down on the grass and soak in the beauty that surrounds you. I’ve also learned that La Iguana is not synonymous to Mexican food. Perhaps it’s because I still consider Hamilton dirt boring, but in its ‘nothingness’, you have both the time and space to look at what lies deep within yourself and beneath the facade of even a sea of faces. And goodness, you can actually see the stars from here.
The fact of the matter is this: I would not be the person I am today without NYC and everything that makes that city what it is to me; but I would also not be the person I am today without Hamilton and those faces that come to mind here in this lovely town. I needed both NYC and Hamilton - almost polar opposites in my view - to walk in the fullness of who I am. And regardless of whatever hardship and strife this duality has caused, I have absolutely no regrets and am utterly grateful for this blessing.
And of course home would not really live up to its name without friends and loved ones; so to those who have made this journey especially worthwhile for me - you know who you are - I love you and my life here at Colgate would not have been as enriching and worth it had it not been for your guys’ presence.
And Hamilton, I’ve denied this for too long and I’m sorry it has taken me so long to realize this simple fact, but I love you and I would not be me without you. Thanks for being my home.