The holidays are my favorite time of year. From the food, to the music, to the different traditions; I love everything about it. For many people it’s a time filled with love, laughter, friends, and family. But not everyone gets to experience this during the holidays.

It’s easy to assume that this time of year is great for everyone but the same things that make the holidays so meaningful for some people can make it very difficult for others. For many people, this is the first holiday they’re spending away from their loved ones. And I found myself in that same situation recently.

I’ve been living in New York City for six months now and it’s been great. I genuinely love my job, I love the city, I love the different experiences I’ve been able to have. But moving to a new city where you know very few people is hard. For me, once the temperature dropped, I wasn’t spending as much time outside. I was cold! I would go to work and go right back home. And that was fine until it wasn’t. I was inside all the time and I wasn’t interacting with people at all (other than my coworkers). I got very lonely. And living in a city of over 8 million people, it sounds impossible, but it happened. And I didn’t expect it to. I missed my friends. I missed my family. Everything was going great in certain aspects, but I was getting sad and lonely.

Then I made the decision to not go home for Thanksgiving. And again, that was fine until it wasn’t. Although, I was able to be around other people, it wasn’t the same. I didn’t realize how much I missed my family. I didn’t realize how much I missed seeing familiar faces. I didn’t realize how many family traditions I had that I was missing out on. I didn’t realize how much I missed my mom’s food! It was very difficult for me and I decided that I won’t be doing that again. I decided that the holidays are definitely a time for me to be with the people that mean the most to me. And I decided that I needed a break.

I’ve spent the last two weeks in Florida, and it has been wonderful. I’ve been able to spend time with my friends and family. I’ve been able to see the sun again. I’ve been able to sit around and have my mom cook for me. I really needed this break to remind myself that I do have people in my life that really love and care about me. Even though they are further away. But now, I feel like I can go back to New York happier and more focused and ready to take on those challenges again because I took the time to step back and surround myself with my favorite people.

I say all of this just to make the point that the holidays are not always an easy for everyone. Be kind and enjoy the time that you have with the ones you love because you might not always have the opportunity to do so. And for those that can’t just know that there are people that do really love you and it’s okay to lean on them when necessary.

Happy Holidays Everyone!