Although it’s still several months away, my thoughts are increasingly mixed about packing up and going home. I miss my friends and family, the wonderful food, the weather, and of course my house, very much. In my Brooklyn apartment – spacious by New York standards, I guess, but microscopic compared to what I’d become used to in Sydney – full of someone else’s furniture, and empty of visitors, I feel like I’m living the life of someone ten or fifteen years younger. Unfortunately I don’t feel any younger for it.
New York, however, is New York. There is no place like it in the world for the quality and variety of its cultural life. It takes money and energy to take advantage of all it has to offer.
From a professional point of view, my twin literary and philanthropic interests have happily converged in the consulting work I’ve been doing while in New York. As someone who has always worn a number of hats this has been somewhat of a relief. To keep the convergence going, I am doing a lot of professional development activities over the coming weeks and months – a conference this weekend, and a Summer Intensive in Philanthropy and Fundraising at New York University in July – in order to make the most of the knowledge that’s here and to forge new contacts.
I’ve also made a few appointments regarding options for coming and going between Sydney and New York in the future. I would of course prefer not to lose my green card but there are all sorts of restrictions about how long one can be outside the US. Another option might be to establish a company that can be operated by a non-resident. This is becoming an increasingly attractive idea, as I have been astounded at how slowly the publishing industry wheels turn over here, trying to represent my author clients. It’s a real compliment to Australia’s publishing industry. I’ll keep you posted on what I find out.
