I’ve lived in Chicago for 12 years now. I know I’m going to get a lot of flak here because Chicago is probably more diverse than many places, but it is also very segregated. I used to normalize midwestern whiteness and subconsciously told myself that being more white = being able to fit in more = advancing in my career and socially. Now, I value diversity much more and realize that success doesn’t have to be centered on whiteness.

I travel to NYC quite a bit for work and kept feeling like life doesn’t have to be this way. I’m not unhappy in Chicago, to be clear, but NYC feels like a breath of fresh air when it comes to diversity. I grew up in Bangkok (I’m Asian by the way), so I’m quite used to big city energy. I’m also privileged to have a good career and am comfortable financially, so socioeconomic segregation is less of an issue for me.