When I tell people I released a book called Everything I Learned in New York, the first question people ask me is: what did you learn in New York?

Usually, the inquiry comes from people who have recently arrived in the city I now call home. My story with NY began many years ago when I thought my hometown, Rio de Janeiro, wasn’t diverse enough.

I knew there was more to the world than the world I knew, but I wasn’t sure what. At 29, I packed my clothes and a few belongings into some suitcases and left for New York.

At first impression, I thought everything was big. New York is an imposing city. I felt small, not because I’m a five-one, but because I got here with a lot of guts and no purpose.

Almost everyone (with whom I spoke) thinks they are the only immigrants experiencing insecurities. People described feeling like sh** in New York after moving. I have felt like this several times.

I never planned to live in New York. The opportunity came with my spouse’s job transfer. My insecurity began to surface because I didn’t know my new social role. What does a wife do? I asked myself several times.

In Brazil, in addition to my life as a couple, I had a job, friends, and family. In short, relationships were mine alone — people, stories, and situations I didn’t share.

I thought my life was complete, and I didn’t even think about purpose. When I needed to rebuild all of this, I started to reflect on everything that was me without everything that was in me and wasn’t me. Asking permission to quote my book:

For some time, I have asked myself what in me is:
1. my wish
2. other people’s projection of me
3. projection of mine to please other people

In short, I learned to answer all these questions in New York. Here, I discovered what in me is me.

Para mais dicas de coragem para realizar sonhos, leia o livro, “Tudo que aprendi em Nova York“.