To me, New York is a very personal place. It has witnessed my growth as I have witnessed its [...] I came to New York for the first time at the age of 16. New York helped me find myself - this girl who loved meeting new people, who loved all the new opportunities and challenges [...] And I could not wait to turn 21 [...] Now almost seven years later, I came back to New York. The city feels so familiar yet so distant [...] All that used to be freshness and excitement now becomes seen-through chaos and emptiness. Opportunities still abound and there are still plenty of exciting people. But New York life is no longer the life I desire [...] Seven years ago, I felt I was too young to settle [...] This time [...] I even feel that I need to protect my relationship from New York [...] So then this book was born [...] I want to tell people’s stories instead of making statements. And maybe from these stories we can learn more about New York [...]