A MUM who swapped the small village of Llantarnam for the bustling city of New York has shared her experience of living in the US on Tiktok.
Nicole Petito, from Cwmbran, moved to the Big Apple after meeting her meeting her now-husband Frank, known as Chich in 2017 on a trip to New York.
Mrs Petito visited her husband, who was born in Brooklyn, every month for more than a year before making to the move to the city that never sleeps.
Before meeting her husband, Nicole couldn’t picture living anywhere else but in Wales and says it’s a big change to Cwmbran.
After discovering she was pregnant with her daughter Aurora, in 2018 she made the decision to join Chich in New York.
Nicole, daughter Aurora and husband Chich in New York. Picture: Nicole Petito.
“When I met Chich I never really thought about moving, it just happened naturally," she said. "I always wonder if it was so planned out, would I would be living here now?
“It’s a big change for me living here in New York, my husband is originally from here and now my daughter was born here.
“For a long time I did miss home, but I am really enjoying it out here since moving from the Long Island area, life here is more of a struggle comparted to Wales as things are more expensive.
“My husband cannot believe what you can buy back home in Wales compared to here in New York, it shocks him every time, but you definitely get more opportunities living here.
Nicole and her daughter pose with the brooklyn bridge in the background. Picture: Nicole Petito
“My daughter first visited my family in Wales when she was two, because of covid halted travelling and my visa didn’t come through.”
@petitofamilyof3 New home views 😍🏙🌃 #nycskyline #newhome #ny #views ♬ Easy On Me - Adele
The mum of one, who works as real estate broker ,shares her journey in New York on Tiktok and compares living in the UK to the US, along with family videos and the struggle of living in an apartment instead of a house.
She added: “One of the things I had to come to terms with was living in an apartment, and our daughter not having a back garden. But now it is one of my favourite things about living here.
“Parents are making sure the kids go the parks most days, so they are always socializing rather than being on their phones or games inside.
“One of the things I do miss about the UK is the food, they put way too much sugar in the food here and it is not as fresh.
“The things I miss about Wales are my family, the food and its fresh air, able to have my haircut for a reasonable price - and I miss the pornstar martinis from Las Iguanas!
Nicole swapped Llantarnam for Manhattan, New York. Picture: Google
“I enjoy my visits back home as Wales will always be my home, it definitely something special living out here, and sometimes I think about the movies I used to watch and think wow I am here too.
“I do the tiktoks for our daughter, as we thought we could save them on a memory stick to look back on when she is older.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel