On missing

I miss places more than I miss people.

I remember the sudden feeling of emptiness and displacement that attacked me a few days after moving to IC and lasted for about a day. It was the feeling of missing NYC - not a specific person or a specific neighborhood, but NYC as a whole, as an entity that never took a concrete shape in my mind until I left.
The last four months have been the longest time I have spent outside of NYC since 1999. I woke up 2 minutes ago feeling excited and anticipatory.
I've also noticed that I'm still referring in casual conversation to NYC as "home", even though between Israel, New York and Iowa, New York is the one that least qualifies as "home".
It's been years now since I've fully realized that what I miss most about Israel is Tel-Aviv as a city/entity. I now have the same feeling toward NYC. Isn't it funny, how connected we feel to these large, anonymous cities?

I have to admit that I am extremely happy in IC. This place is magical. I really like my house, my neighbors, my landlords, my friends, my street, my local bar, my students and my colleagues. I feel very much like myself and very much at home here. I'm curious to know what I am going to feel as I get off the subway and drag my suitcase up 8th ave.