Paige Lorenze Felt Non-Human as an N.Y.C. Influencer. Then, She Moved to a Farm (Exclusive) [Video]

Paige Lorenze is cultivating a new life.

In pursuit of a college degree and a desire to “create,” the 26-year-old Connecticut native initially moved out of her small town to head to New York City. Eventually, that vision took a unique turn when she amassed a million-plus followers across social media.

“Create” is just what she did upon graduating from The New School in 2021 when she successfully navigated the then-untraditional path of becoming an influencer, a title she has grappled with and sought to redefine for herself in the years that have followed.

To the hundreds of thousands of followers that subscribed to Lorenze’s YouTube and social pages in the early years of building an online presence, they were wide-eyed at the glorified lifestyle of living in N.Y.C. It appeared she had it all through her vlogs, though, the screen was just a facade.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Lorenze opens up about “doing the …