city of dreams

World, meet Clarence. He's a giant lucky cat that's going to hang out in Erik's new store in the Lower East Side. It's kind of amazing how much Erik has achieved in the past decade: After dropping out of art school, he basically taught himself design programs while waiting tables and passing out flyers (and living in a shower-less loft). And now he's a staple of Manhattan's streetwear/music scene and, in his words, "an OG in the game." That got me thinking about how far I've come as well. When I moved to NYC in 2001, I didn't know a single soul. Not one! To make matters worse, it was also a few weeks shy of September 11th, which cast a dark cloud over the city. I remember walking home from work that horrible day, seeing friends and families huddled together, and crying on my creaky futon. I soon learned that there are few things more lonely than being all by yourself in a city full of people. There were a lot of tears my first six months in the Big Apple, and I was so miserable that I seriously considered moving back home. But my stubbornness willed me to stick it out, and I'm thankful I did. I eventually landed some terrific friends, an exciting career, and my true love. Of course, my life now isn't always perfect, but when I think back to those rough days, I'm so grateful for how much I've achieved.