Carmen, I felt the same way when I lived in NY.  The people that had my back, really had it. But sometimes, others . . . not so much.  Oh and I like your comment that "simple gestures have real meaning." Something that I recently wrote in my journal had to do with acts of love vs. actions of love - similar, but actions implies (to me) the small things (picking up socks, putting the remote back in the right place, etc.) are at least as important as the bigger acts of love (buying roses, etc.).