Hey everyone! My name is Zainah Syed, and I’m an aspiring romance author and lover of all things literature! As a writer living in one of the biggest cities in the world, I’m often exploring the city. Thankfully, I also live near an F train station, which, in my opinion, is one of New York’s most iconic trains. We just had a few major sporting events here, with the New York Knicks winning the National Basketball Association championship and the World Cup Final, so we’re all super festive this summer. I love seeing the specially wrapped World Cup trains roll through the stations even though it’s been a few weeks since the final. Now, exploring the city wouldn’t be complete without me going to some bookstores to see which new Penguin Random House classic or romance novel will be appearing on my TBR list. There’s nothing I love more than love because, after all, who are we without it? I have spent much of my teen years trying to recreate the same love I’ve spent my whole life fantasising about and, as an avid reader and writer of romance novels, I was absolutely relentless in my pursuit. I wanted something akin to Lara Jean from ‘To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before’ or a love story straight out of a Lynn Painter book. Life imitates art after all, right?
On rainy days, I love to walk through Central Park with a friend, watching the streams, climbing the rocks uphill, and watching the cardinals fly by. I’m also a major history geek, so the Metropolitan Museum of Art is honestly a second home. I’m really drawn to Byzantine and Medieval European art, and there’s always something new to discover at the Met. Of course, when I’m not lost in fairytale-land, I love exploring the concrete jungle. In Manhattan, I love walking through Rockefeller Center or Fifth Avenue, all while pretending I’m Andrea Sachs from ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ (I aspire to be just like Miranda Priestly when I grow up). Or perhaps like Empress Theodora, who found her perfect match with Emperor Justinian.
My quest to find my own Justinian has certainly been…eventful, but I’d never call it unsuccessful. I’ve had a few crushes, as we all have had, I’m sure. I was once met with what I certainly thought was the love of my life, when a cute boy who I was friendly with started flirting with me. He claimed we were just friends, but the flirting meant something to me and I felt a pang whenever I remembered it was fake. Alas, I pushed on, trying to be as close as possible to him, even when he didn’t reply to messages. In the end, he was definitely not a fan of me clinging to him! (Not the first time, you guys should’ve seen the disaster of a crush I had just a couple of years ago. I tend to cling when I think I like a boy.) Whew, I don’t think I’ll be making that mistake again. I definitely jumped the gun too early and while I think the great love I’ve been searching for does exist, perhaps now is not the best time. Now is the time for teenage crushes and experiencing who I become when someone else enters the labyrinth that is my heart. We grow as people as we live, and right now, we are still in the early stages of who we will become in life. I am still only the first version of myself, after all. I’ll never stop believing that love exists, and for us teens, it’s a bit hard to navigate. I myself am still stuck in the stage where it’s ‘bad’ to have your crush know that you like them! I’ve learned, though, from some of my crushes, and I’d be more than happy to help you all too!
