I was looking through an old wallet a couple days ago and found the MetroCard I used all last year. It reminded me how much I’ve been missing New York lately. The nice thing about 9 months of a bicoastal relationship was that it allowed me to get to know NY more.

I miss visiting NY, but don’t miss the distance. Living across the country from Sean was hard and only became more difficult as the year wore on. The day he arrived at LAX after dealing with several delays (snowstorm, flight delays, etc) for good was the one the best days of the year.

Last December, I didn’t think I’d come to miss my trips to NY. At least not so soon. The flights, summer heat and humidity made me grumpy. Sean seriously thought I’d refuse to make summer trips. I still went in the summer, but those trips were short compared to spring and fall trips. I liked NY but didn’t love the crowds, expensive food and crappy weather.

I miss the trips. I even miss the flight, sorta. I looked forward to eating Munchies, watching TV, and taking in the breathtaking views of the Grand Canyon and the Rockies on my flights. I loved our reunions at baggage claim and long airport hugs. I miss riding back in the rented ZipCar through Queens and in to familiar Harlem. I miss people watching on the train, running the outer loop of Central Park, watching Sean’s football games, happy hours with his team (who all seemed to know me even though I’d just met them), indie concerts, and delicious food.

I know I’ll be back, but it’ll be different. I won’t have the feeling that I only have a few days to spend with my love. He’ll be coming home with me too.