When I lived in San Francisco I had status someone who is making a lot of money working for Lucasfilm so I got things including friends acquaintances art shows.
When I moved to New York City I reset to a baseline which is basically nothing. Ultimately it was a great thing for my art but terrible for my psyche.
Now that I go through my emails from years ago I realize how much the u.s. is about money and status. That is what is being liked basically. You could be an idiot but you must be somebody.
This is what I wrote to a “new” new york friend who was working for the new york times, literally a few days into my “new” new york life (may 2010) "I am getting used to the neighborhood, to the city and trying to fit my one bedroom flat into one room. I realized I am so provincial, attached to my shell and little things like a turtle. time to become a new yorker:)"
Boy i did.