The Season of Change Opens Into a New Year

Tonight is Erev Rosh Hashanah. In the past, this holiday has coincided with the first few weeks of school (new clothes, books, teachers), the first hints of brisk weather and changing leaves (before global warming), and in later years, trekking home to Long Island from whatever state of the country and being I was living in at the time (Indiana, Colorado, California, Phish tour - haha). This year I drove in an hour and a half of good ol' BQE > LIE traffic to spend another Rosh Hashanah with my family. This could have been the hardest commute of all years in the past. No question about it, I have truly returned home to New York.

It's no coincidence that I chose to move from San Francisco to Brooklyn at the end of the summer. I knew that by this exact weekend, I'd be living in my own apartment, somewhat settled, have met new friends, had new experiences and would be missing my cozy SF life and friends with all my heart. This is when the newness begins to wear off and the reality sets in. The words repeat in my mind, "I have really done this. I really left. I really live here. This really is my apartment and my neighborhood. This really is my new scene. This man hole cover really makes a 'bopbop' noise outside my bedroom window every time someone drives by."

My world has been insanely busy for the last few weeks with an seemingly unending amount of work, friends coming and going, multiple first-class musical choices every single damn night, emotions flying up and down, my heart in both pain and ecstasy... Amidst all this change and the flurry of activity, I look forward to taking this 48 hours to reflect, remember, and aspire. I take comfort in knowing that millions of people around the world are doing the same thing - I am connected to all of them. I am grateful that I am with my loving parents tonight and that I ate delicious matzah ball soup tonight.

Jew or no jew... my hope is that everyone can take a moment this weekend to sit with their thoughts and dreams, accepting the past and letting it be...