EDITION 01: Published July 3, 2025

“New York or Nowhere”... until now.

So what changed? Why am I saying goodbye to the city I’ve loved and called home for 13 years? And where am I headed next?

The sign that used to define me.

Why I’m Moving

I always swore I’d never leave New York. I even had a neon sign in my apartment that said, “It will always be New York or Nowhere.”
But turns out... I’m allowed to change my mind—and my zip code—even if the neon says otherwise

I moved to NYC from Mumbai in 2009 when I got married. That marriage lasted 10 years (three of which were spent in London through my ex-husband’s job). After our separation in 2020, I moved into my first solo studio on the Upper West Side. I wasn’t sure if I could make it here on my own. But five years later—I didn’t just survive, I thrived. In ways I couldn’t have imagined.

But about a year ago, something shifted. I started feeling anxious all the time. No matter how much I tried to slow down, I couldn’t. The chaos that once made me feel alive now just felt... loud. Even at 7am on a walk with Ari, it felt like the city was shouting.

I grew up in Mumbai—which is basically NYC on steroids. I thought I thrived in that kind of energy. But not anymore. It was making me unhappy.

With no family in the U.S. (my parents are in India, my brother’s in Australia), I realized: nothing was tying me here. So I gave myself permission to imagine a different life. One that felt gentler. More grounded.
And yeah—sometimes, breaking up with a city is just as important as breaking up with a person.

So I made a list of what I wanted from my next chapter:

• A walkable city

• A small-town feel with charm and culture

• All four seasons

• Access to nature + weekend getaway options

• A liberal city and state (very important to me as an immigrant of color)

Where I’m Moving

The first city I narrowed down was Austin, Texas.
Yes, Texas isn’t a liberal state, but Austin is—and I thought maybe I could compromise. So, I booked a trip specifically to look at apartments with a realtor. I’d been to Austin a couple of times before and really liked it, but this time I went with a different lens: could I actually see myself living here?

As much as I enjoyed parts of it, I realized it wasn’t for me. It felt like a smaller version of New York, but it wasn’t walkable enough, and Ari would not do well with the heat. It’s a great city with tons to do, but when I thought about daily life, it just didn’t feel right. So I decided against it.

I also looked into a few other places—Minneapolis, Philadelphia, and parts of upstate New York were on my list. Each had some of what I was looking for, but none of them felt like the full-picture.

So, I started my research again from square one. While scrolling, I came across a list of the happiest cities in the U.S.—and that’s when I found Portland, Maine. I got curious. I pulled up Zillow. And there it was: a very cute, loft-style condo in my budget.

It was early days, so I wasn’t ready to commit. But the more I researched, the more Portland kept calling to me. It checked off all my boxes. In March, I went back to that listing—and it was still on the market. I took it as a sign and put in an offer... without ever having been to Portland before.
(Crazy, I know. But I had a one-week contingency—if I hated the city or the condo, I could back out.)

Spoiler: I didn’t.

I closed on my first home in May. It’s a 700 sq ft studio condo with a huge deck in an 1860s brick building. And I’ll be living over the cutest little bookstore. Like something out of a rom-com I’d usually roll my eyes at if it weren’t my life.

Here she is. My first ever home :)

Last weekend, I stayed in the apartment for the first time. At first, I panicked. What was I thinking? I’ve never lived in a city with under 8 million people, let alone under 100,000. Have I made a huge mistake?

But then on Sunday, I walked the Eastern Prom Trail—Casco Bay on one side, grassy hills on the other. It was peaceful in a way I hadn’t felt in NYC for a long time. I knew Ari would be so happy here. And I knew I owed this to myself—to at least give it a try.

And hey—New York’s not going anywhere. If I hate it, I’ll just come back, neon sign and all.

What’s Next

I’ve already started planning what I want to do with the space.

One reason this apartment sat on the market so long? Most buyers couldn’t figure out how to separate the sleeping and living areas. But you know me—I’ve made small-space styling basically my entire personality. I already have a vision, and I can’t wait to bring it to life.

After 8 rentals in 16 years, I finally get to design a space that’s 100% mine.

From one neon sign to another—here’s to making moves that make no sense, but feel just right.

P.S. To get updates sent straight to your inbox, sign up below.