Hi, it's Dora, and you're now listening to Radio Headspace.
I'm so glad you're here.
So my partner and I moved to New York City on New Year's Eve,
and I remember stepping out of the car in the evening with the cold air hitting my face.
Though being from Canada, I barely felt it.
What I did feel was the energy of the city.
The streets were full of life.
People bundling up in coats, heading to parties, making their way towards Times Square.
The hum of a city preparing to celebrate.
And there we were, exhausted, wired, standing on the sidewalk with all of our suitcases.
A few days later, we got the keys to our apartment.
And if you know New York, you know that getting keys uptown near Central Park and living downtown near Washington Square
means you're in for a trek.
We made our way downtown, unlocked the door to our empty apartment, and stood there in the middle of the space.
No furniture, no bed.
We were in a new place, starting over.
And we didn't even have anywhere to sleep.
I remember trying to stay as present as possible, breathing, focusing on one task at a time.
But underneath my attempt to stay present, I could feel the stress and pressure building.
There is a Buddhist teaching called the Parable of the Two Arrows.