"After six years, The Observer's award-winning US correspondent Ed Vulliamy takes his leave from a wounded and belligerent nation with which, reluctantly, he has now fallen out of love."
A couple of years ago, I was set on moving to New York. I'd wanted to for years - to me, it's still the perfect city. The ultimate city. I loved it. I still do. I felt how Woody Allen describes it at the start of Manhattan. I felt similarly about much of the American spirit, with wide-eyed optimism for sure, but ... I just felt I should live in NYC at some point while I'm on this planet, and that combined with leaving my previous job seemed a perfect opportunity. I had a few leads, started following them up, but then the BBC happened, personal reasons got in the way for a bit, and I kinda lost the thread.
And I realise now that I'm really happy in London, in a way I didn't think I would be two years ago. I find it endlessly fascinating and Samuel Johnson's maxim seems ever more relevant. But I also realised recently that I feel quite differently about America - and about that spirit I mentioned above - and I hadn't realised it until Ed Vulliamy described his reasons for coming back to the UK. I don't necessarily agree with his reasons 100%, but they did resonate.
I'm v happy in this messed up city right now - and that's partly as I wouldn't feel right in the States right now. I have many good friends and colleages in the US (some of whom will be reading this) who I respect hugely, and in no way is this meant to denigrate them, or their nation - as I hope they know ... but I just sense a bit of what Vulliamy (and Sontag, and Cale) are saying below.
