What a week, huh? (On top of “what a month” and “what a year”). In the interest of continuing to publicize my book I was going to post about Mittens’ blatant scare-mongering about Jeep packing up and moving to China.

Then, Hurricane Sandy happened.

I had the privilege of living in New York City for four-and-a-half years, right after college. A Colorado kid packed up and moved to a city that he hated for the first six months, then never wanted to leave, then he wanted to leave it, but be a champion of the City to non-NY’ers. (As time went on, I just couldn’t see myself there long-term.)

I’ve seen a few photos of places that I’ve been, even just running a mundane errands. Eerie to see those places under water.

Best wishes to the citizens of New York City, and the rest of the East Coast hit by Hurricane Sandy as well. You will recover from this.

If you’ve ever had the urge to move to NYC, here’s what should happen. DO.

Move there. Stick it out. If you’re young, get used to having no money, but you’ll find others like you and your group will figure out how to have a good time. One of my fondest memories is sitting on a stoop drinking 40s, telling stories with my friends. Across the street was some hip club, lots of dressy people in line trying to look worthy enough to get in. We got piss-drunk watching them posture.

A friend of mine moved out there after her divorce. I visited a year later, saw her. She was a brand-new person.

I could go on with stories like this, but there are hundreds of millions of them already. (And mine are average compared to many others.)

Whenever that city gets hurt in any way I feel the urge to tell people about its greatness. When people mention that NY’ers are rude, I respond that WAYYYYYY too many people are inhabiting WAYYYYY too small of a physical space. When you’re in this environment, you move at the pace that is set or you get pushed to the side. It’s just physics.

Since I moved away I’ve had people here and there say things like, “Why would you ever visit New York? I hear it’s dirty.”

To these people: yes.

It is dirty.

It sure is.

I heart NY.