Hello everyone,
I just thought it would do good for me to share my experience moving to this city among other new yorkers and maybe hearing some new voices of people who are living here and know better than me or even went through the same thing.

So basically, I'm 28 years old and moved to NYC four months ago with my wife. My wife is doing her Ph.D. at Columbia University, and I just joined her (with a work permit during our stay here), and we are going to be here for at least 3.5 years, but we could choose to stay for five years if we wish to. (At the moment I don't see it happening)

I have to say that moving here has been the most difficult challenge I've ever been through in my life. First, though my English is not bad at all, I'm SO, SO insecure about it. I'm feeling afraid to open my mouth and say complicated things, and it is depressing me. (I am a person who's talking a lot by nature. I've always been like that) And I feel like someone took away that ability from me and I'm much less charismatic in English than in Hebrew which affects my confidence tremendously... After smoking weed for 4-5 years almost every day in Israel, I quit doing it since the first month I got here only because it made me feel very anxious (it used to make me feel quite the opposite before)

I used to be a teacher in Israel and pretty quickly I've found a job as a teacher that teaches Hebrew here in New York. (In Israel I used to teach History which I found much more interesting than teaching a language, but that's what I got here, so I have to live with that) A few days ago, I had a conversation with my boss, and apparently, they are pleased by my work there, and they asked me if I am willing to continue for next year which is nice to hear even though I don't like this job that much. I guess I will have to compromise.

My wife and I are supported by an excellent scholarship, and we don't have to worry a lot about money or health insurance so, on the financial field, we are kinda covered. But being here makes me feel powerless. Obviously, I don't have my good friends here with me, and I feel much less "special" as a person. I feel like I am only one among millions who are trying to survive in this big hectic city. In the beginning, I thought it is beautiful that this city is full of people from all around the world, but now it just feels to me that everyone are strangers to each other and it seems like it is the loneliest city in the world at the moment.

And because I don't have friends here and I am married (so meeting with girls on tinder etc. is not an option) I don't have many reasons to leave the house and it is kinda sad. The only reasons I'm leaving my house is for yoga classes, work, and restaurants with my wife. Other than that I don't have any other reasons to leave the house... The weather is fucking horrible, and it is so cold it is painful to me being outside.

Anyways, I don't expect from you guys to be my therapist or giving me some life-changing advices... I guess I post this to release some steam. So if you managed to read my post until the end, Thank you :) And I hope things will improve for me. I've always lived in Israel and only left for trips. The longest was 3-4 months, and I have never relocated my life to anywhere else. So maybe it is just a matter of time until I will start to feel more like home here. If you have anything to share from your experience, that would be lovely just to know that I am not the only one who is going through this adjustment period.

Thanks again for reading and for your patience. Have a great week everyone