I love New York!

The majority of the Haitian Diaspora is found in NYC, Boston, Miami, Montreal and Paris. I asked my mom once why the fam chose Boston. She responded: Your uncle R and aunt B were living here. So there you go, folks.

We could have settled in NYC, in Miami or in Paris! If we settled in Canada, I would be saying PROcess and instead of process. I could have had zee best accent francais or I coulda been a New Yorkah.

Keeping this in mind, whenever I’m in the NYC, as I was this past weekend, I imagine what life could have been like. I imagine that I would always have fresh cut flowers in my pre-war apartment. I would be a fierce(r) dresser. I would wear outfits such as the one below to take the subway…though the woman in this picture is obviously not a local.

I would not have to consult a compass to know which way is North, South, East, West. I would not have to walk 6 blocks in the wrong direction before having to double back to where I’m supposed to be going. I would have an awesome collection of high heels that would not be mangled by the cobblestone streets of BOS. My nails would always be on point, because there are inexpensive mani-pedis to be had in NYC…Oh, the possibilities!

Of course, as I write this, I’m thinking of my home in BOS, of my flower garden and of trips to the Cape and Maine on a whim. I like being a Bostonian…even if I can’t do a decent Bahston accent.