It’s hard to believe I’ve been living in New York for 16 months now! It’s truly mind blowing how eventful it’s been so far. In the space of 16 months I managed to get a divorce, I created my first US corporation, acquired a major customer, moved my Israeli business to the US, dated 20+ women in search of a new partner, found an awesome apartment in Long Island City and slowly furnished it (from scratch!), found an absolutely amazing woman and fell in love, got married again, am planning a wedding celebration (which will happen in November), launched am amazing startup and getting ready to work on another, and probably quite a few other things I neglected to mention.

I like this city very much. I always knew I like New York; Some of you may remember the story of the first time I returned to Israel from New York, and how depressed and empty I felt for a few weeks. I knew that some time in my future, I would love to live in this great city for at least a year of my life, and now I have not only realized that dream, but am in the process of realizing many other dreams!

I know how some New Yorkers have this love / hate relationship with the city, but one can only speak for himself; I can definitely say after living here for 16 months that my love for this city has evolved and become more substantiated, like good wine aging in a barrel.

You slowly but surely learn where to go that suits your mood at the moment. And this is where New York shines: There’s a place for every mood. If you want a crazy party, it’s there. If you want cheap trashy food, it’s there. Want classy, expensive food? It’s definitely there big time. Want classical music? It’s there. For money? Sure. For free? Sure, there’s free stuff too! Parks, Hotels, Palaces. Real life, Fake life, Real people, Fake people, Neon lights, Drunks pissing in the subway, People buying mangos and drinking beer illegally on the beaches, Lounging in a roof pool in a hotel with a crowd that’s 80% LGBT, listening to great music, dancing on the beach with total strangers, watching free movies in Bryant park, attending the infinite number of seasonal parades (Mermaid Parade, Caribbean Parade, Gay Pride Parade, Macy’s Parade, Israel Parade, etc.), the alternative crowd of St. Marks, the cheap vegetables of Chinatown, the tens of thousands of restaurants, bars and pubs, the amazing stores (shopping capital of the world!), and the list goes on.

This is all made even better by the fact that I have siblings and many friends in the vicinity. My dear brother leaves in Brooklyn, and my sister is not too far away in Philadelphia. I have friends in various boroughs, and other friends in other states. All of a sudden the US feels a bit more like a home to me. I feel like I’m starting to settle down again, and it feels good.

As an added bonus, New York turns out to be quite a hub for many, mostly for business, but also for pleasure. I have already had the pleasure to meet many friends who flew to the city for various reasons. This is another advantage of New York: When you are out in the city with friends, the city smiles at you, and you smile back at the universe and say, thank you, dear universe, for this wonderful time!