So long, New York

TLDR; I am no longer in New York City. I am back in Dublin, Ireland deciding what's next.

This is the short version of events over the past few weeks to get everyone up to speed and save some confusion and surprises. If you want the longer version, we can do that over tea.

Just over four weeks ago I landed in New York, a fortnight ahead of starting a new job with a great team and organisation. Sadly, within a week I had a sinking feeling that New York and I were probably not going to work out. By the end of the second week, that doubt had started to solidify and by the end of the third, I decided to call it a day and leave New York.

It's the hardest decision that I have ever made.

I'm still coming to terms with it, but I believe I made the right decision for myself, my partner and the work also, by extension. I am so grateful to Paul; firstly for the opportunity to join such an exciting and worthwhile mission and secondly for his sheer generosity, encouragement and support at a tough junction in my life. Those I have talked to about my experience have been taken aback by his kindness and rightly so. I really hope we get to work together somehow, somewhere in the future.

It's been a bumpy few weeks but it's getting better. Getting over the disappointment will take a while. Dialling down how much it matters what people on the outside think will also take a while. I’m grateful for the super group of friends - both new and old - who have been so good to me over the last few weeks.

Thank you all.

I don't know what's next but in the meantime I'm tackling my ever-growing reading list and making myself available to friends going through a gnarly time. If there's anything I've learned in the last few weeks, it's the value of talking about whatever's going on, be it big or small. It's ok not to feel ok and you're never alone.