Roots Before Branches

The only thing on my mind as I’m sitting on a train bound for New York City is the final scene of Glee season 3.

I know, I know, but trust me, it will make sense in a minute. The music begins. Finn retrieves Rachel’s bubble-gum pink suitcase from the back of the car before opening the passenger side door to let her out. She emerges with tears streaming down her face, and then, as together they walk towards the train station, Rachel starts to sing the opening lines of Room For Two’s “Roots Before Branches.”

“So many things to do and say / But I can’t seem to find my way / But I wanna know how / I know I’m meant for something else / But first I gotta find myself / But I don’t know how”

The next shot, they’re on the platform and Rachel sees the whole Glee squad waiting for her: Mercedes, Sugar, Quinn, Brittana, Puck, the kid with the dreadlocks, the Irish exchange student, Mr. Shue and Emma, Tina and Mike Chang, Artie, Blaine Warbler, and, of course, Kurt. And then, the moment of truth (and tears): Rachel says goodbye to Finn. (It gets me every time; I may or may not be tearing up as I’m writing this.) The title of the episode is, appropriately, “Goodbye.” Rachel is moving to New York, leaving behind her friends, family, and fiancé.

When the train pulls away, a crying Rachel looks out the window to see Finn running alongside the car. She breaks into a fresh wave of sobs and belts out the chorus.

“I gotta have roots before branches / To know who I am before I know who I wanna be / And faith to take changes / To live like I see a place in this world for me”

I’m not leaving a fiancé behind, and I packed more than a carry-on pink suitcase, but nevertheless I can relate to Rachel in this moment. It’s scary to leave home, especially to go to a big city where you are surrounded literally my millions of strangers. But it’s also exciting, and I know that as soon as I see that skyline from my seat on the train, I’ll be like Rachel when she steps out onto 42nd Street and looks around at all of the tall buildings and yellow taxis and flashing lights. I’ll stroll confidently across the avenues and remember why I chose to return to New York in the first place. Just like Rachel, I’ll smile. Because that’s what New York does to me. It makes me happy, it makes me confident. It makes me smile. Watch the scene here, and make sure you have tissues handy.