Had you met me a little more than a year ago you would have met a man having the time of his life. Back then, I was the digital marketing director for SUNY schools, where I mostly produced videos and worked on presentations. The 2019 version of me usually woke up 10 minutes before my alarm clock went off, excited to start my day, and often went to sleep feeling a sense of accomplishment. I had finally arranged all the little details of my NYC life in such a way where I didn’t want to change a thing.

In 2020, having front-row seats to watch the city that never sleeps get brought to its knees is an experience I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. Many people claim things weren’t that bad here, and they’re entitled to write their own opinion pieces. Although, I can’t imagine an article about how great life in NYC was this year being very interesting — or very honest. Even Jerry Seinfeld wrote his defense of New York from the safety of his compound in the Hamptons, not the Upper West Side. We’ll just have to agree to disagree.