‘Home Alone 2’ inspired me to move to New York and pursue my dreams

Kevin McCallister inspired me to pursue my lifelong dreams. I’m not joking: At the ripe age of 4 when I first saw Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, which features Macaulay Culkin’s character frolicking all over the sparkling city of Manhattan in its peak idyllic Christmastime glory, I caught a whiff of what I wanted to do with my life. Move to New York City. To do something. Anything. (If it involved the Plaza Hotel, great, but no need for one Donald Trump to make a cameo in my personal version.)

Every year, when all the TV channels started playing the film—nay, masterpiece—on repeat as soon as December struck, I’d watch in a trance, admiring the complete freedom Kevin has as he sightsees and walks through Central Park and hits up all the major shops (with a personal pizza on-hand, mind you). And each time I watched, my dream was only further reinforced: I just had to live in this dazzling city. When the time came, I started scouting colleges in the city and, eventually, I got a proverbial golden ticket in the form of an acceptance letter.

And so I made it happen. After 12 years of living in Texas, I left everything I knew and moved to New York to attend college and pursue a career in writing. Everyone thought I was crazy, and no one was shy about sharing their thoughts: “You don’t know anybody!” “The city is too big!” “It’s dangerous there!” Um, eye roll much? Kevin McCallister made it out alive and he was, like, 8—and didn’t have a cell or even a photo ID.

The view of New York City in the movie is from a child’s perspective: There are colossal skyscrapers lining every block, everything is a vessel for a new experience (and story!), and, well, there are simply endless things to do and see.

My first year there, I did all that I could to claim my New Yorker cred: I learned how to navigate the subway, how to swiftly traverse dense crowds of people, and where to score the best pizza slices. While I worked on my journalism skills for school some nights, others I’d take the 1 train downtown and explore different neighborhoods, finding my own favorite spots (because, well, FAO Scwharz had since shuttered—sorry, Kevin).

But really, I didn’t need be doing anything at all in order to feel happy in my chosen home. I can’t count how many times I’ve simply sat on a bench in Central Park (like the pigeon lady) or outside a random coffee shop simply watching the goings-on around me and then proceeded to jot down vignettes to incorporate into a story I’d write.

Whenever anyone asks me why I moved to NYC, I really do say it was all because of Home Alone 2. But only recently did I realize why, exactly, the film inspired such mobility in me. The view of New York City in the movie is from a child’s perspective: There are colossal skyscrapers lining every block, everything is a vessel for a new experience (and story!), and, well, there are simply endless things to do and see. For me, all of that excitement of a totally new and bustling atmosphere was alluring. Growing up in the suburbs, I lost that wonder early on—the wonder that I still have when I waltz around the streets of New York. Turns out that that curiosity and continual interest is necessary in order for me to thrive. To me, even after a dozen years, this city still feels like something that needs to be figured out.

I really don’t see myself leaving the city ever. And while I may not be traipsing around on my dad’s credit card à la McCallister (if only), I’m doing what I love in place that basically melts me into the heart-eyes emoji. And while there are so many great parts about living here, the best is that I can order a large cheese pizza, all to myself—whenever I want. So basically, I do share plenty in common with Kevin McCallister—my inspiration.

One reason to make a move? Losing a job. Here’s how getting laid off from work led one editor to her best career shift ever. And these are Ruth Zukerman’s tips for making a career change.