Upon moving to New York, the first few weeks felt isolating. There was just an immense loneliness that left me hollow, fearing I had lost meaningful friendships because now I am far away from the land where I was raised. Building new connections wasn’t easy, but it did make things easier for me.

This is the memory of my first friendship in New York, the one that made New York feel a little more gentle. The first time we made a plan, wandered around, had a meal at a park, and shared things about ourselves was in here, Chinatown, just by Grand Street. There were three of us, though some of us grew apart, that day still holds great significance for me.