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How Moving Across the Country Changed Me

April 19, 2017

Msg 4 21+ This post is sponsored by Wente Vineyards, but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

You may not know that I’m originally an East Coast girl! I called Buffalo, NY my home for 22 years.

When (San Diego-based) Tyler and I first started realizing we were potentially in a “more than friends” situation, I cringed at the idea of moving to California. In fact, it was almost a deal-breaker.

Don’t get me wrong — it was in my 10-year plan to move to Los Angeles and establish myself in SoCal, but I didn’t think I’d be leaving that soon. Moving nearly 2,500+ miles across the country isn’t for the faint of heart, especially without a job or friends waiting for you on the other side.

Once I took a leap of faith and moved to California, I quickly realized that I’m a lot stronger than I imagined.

Here are a few of my favorite changes:

Finding My Passion

When I left Buffalo I was a waitress and I absolutely loved every minute of it. It was an odd job for me that constantly drew me out of my comfort zone and faced me head on with my social anxiety, which was thrilling in a weird way. It’s not that I was super passionate about serving food to people, but I loved the environment between employees and could not find — after crazy searching — my true calling in life. Once I moved I was able to explore a few options and realized that my mom was right all along… I would be a writer.

Meeting New People

I was a social butterfly on the East Coast. I moved around a lot and when college rolled around I knew people from all different areas that converged at my school. Admittedly, I never had much luck making friends in San Diego, but Los Angeles has been a goldmine in networking and meeting people with similar interests to me — whether they be fellow moms or bloggers, like to check out all the fun cafes LA has to offer, or fancy a fun Hollywood event.

Redefining Myself Sans Judgement

I always felt like a “poser” whenever I’d go through a new phase. When I got a scene haircut and pierced my lips twice I felt like I was expressing exactly who I was inside, which I’m sure came as a shock to others who had known me as a preppy kid my whole life. It’s funny because no one is the same person at 22 as they were at 15, but change often startles people regardless of how long it’s been coming.In California I got to start fresh. I dressed exactly how I wanted to, was honest about my opinions, and was choosier about who I wanted to be a part of my life. 

Soaking Up the Sunshine

I was a bit of a hermit in my hometown that’s known for snow and bad weather. I worked an awful lot, in the bar/restaurant I mentioned earlier, so it appeared I was out often even when I wasn’t. The truth was, when I wasn’t working I was in bed with $20 worth of Chinese food for myself and cheesy Blockbuster DVDs. I realize now that even though that’s fun every once in awhile, it’s not the healthiest lifestyle to live, so it’s so refreshing to live in a place where I can step onto my patio any time of day, any day of the year, and enjoy the warm weather.

Lately I’ve been kicking back on my California patio with a glass of California wine from Wente Vineyards. It’s seriously refreshing for spring (my personal favorite is the Morning Fog Chardonnay). Learn more about Wente Vineyards here, including their incredible 130-year journey as a family-owned and operated vineyard — the oldest in the country!

As you can see, our lemon tree bears fruit year-round, but I’m specifically waiting on our peach tree to fully bloom so I have something to pair with my wine 😉

 

Have you ever moved across the country? I’d love to hear your experience in the comments below!

 

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