So, as some of you may have noticed I've been a little MIA from my blog lately. As much as this bothers me I promise it's for good reason! And that reason being that I've been going through some big life changes and now that the dust has finally settled I'm so thrilled to share my news! Drumroll please....

Starting in June, I will be moving to San Francisco! This has been a big decision for me as it has involved multiple interviews, nervously waiting for a job offer, going back and forth between deciding if I wanted to actually leave San Diego or not, and then finally resigning at the company I've been at for four and a half years (basically my entire adult life outside of college) in order to accept my new job in SF.

So, what prompted this move!? A lot of people thought I was bold for making this change. For starters, I own my condo in San Diego, I was in a great position at my company, and all my friends and family are here in San Diego. Life's very good here. But I always felt like something's missing. I felt like I was TOO comfortable if that makes sense. I recognized that I was quite accomplished for a twenty-six year old but also like I couldn't reach my full potential if I decided to stay here in my nice, comfortable life. I was always craving more. 

"I learned to always take on things I'd never done before. Growth and comfort do not coexist" - Ginni Rometty, CEO and Chairwoman of IBM

I've read this quote many times and I think it struck a chord with me when I was going back and forth with my decision. Moving cities is never an easy thing, let alone moving to the most expensive city in the country without having too many close friends there. But I'm also a strong believer in never, ever settling. Whether it be for a job, a significant other, or even the city you live in. If you want more out of life, you and only you can get it.

There is definitely importance in breaking free from comfort in order to have a better life down the road. Sometimes our lives have to be completely shaken up, changed, and rearranged to relocate us to the place we're meant to be. I think a lot of people are afraid of the concept of change but without change we inevitably settle, and consequentially that leads to unhappiness at the end of the day.

Below I've shared 5 tips I've gathered on this journey that I think can be helpful for anyone wanting to make a big move like this!

1. Have a monetary plan: The biggest puzzle piece in making a move is making sure you can afford to live there. So have a plan whether it be a job offer like I had, a potential career opportunity, or if you can afford it - some savings set aside to rely on if you can't find a job right away and don't want to put off your move. Moving is stressful enough as it is, don't let monetary matters be another stressor. 

2. Take your time to scope out housing: Trust me when I say this, you want to take your sweet, precious time to find a place to live. I'm not sure if it's like this everywhere, but finding a place to live in San Francisco was SO damn hard. After about a month of looking, I finally secured a place. You want to do your research on neighborhoods you'd like to live in, how the commute will be to your new job, what kind of a vibe you want from where you live and what your non-negotiabeles are. For example, I could compromise on not having a washer or dryer in my apartment because that's more of a luxury living right in the city BUT I could not negotiate on living in a neighborhood I didn't like so I made sure I loved the area I found an apartment in with a Soulcycle and fun restaurants and bars all within walking distance. 

3. Trust in the process and don't rush things: The process of this move has taken me almost half a year. I started speaking to job recruiters in January, interviewing in February, finally got an offer and made my decision over the entire month of March, resigned in April and used the month of May to find a tenant for my condo and find an apartment up in the city. Now that all of that is taken care of, I'm finally in the process of packing so I can move and start my new job in June! It's crazy how this process has taken so long but it honestly feels like the past few months have flown by for me in hindsight and I'm really looking forward to saying goodbye to this limbo phase and starting my new life in my new city!

4. Don't be afraid to do a solo move: I think the scariest part of this whole process was leaving behind my friends and my life here in San Diego. But that doesn't mean you're ending your friendships with them! You just have to be open to meeting people when you move whether that be through work, meet-ups or even Instagram! I only say that cause I've made some of my good friends here in San Diego through the blogger community on IG! And people only have negative things to say about social media...

5. Everything happens for a reason: Like I said earlier, don't settle for comfort. Life is too short to be comfortable. It's completely okay to have uncertainty and not complete control over every aspect of your future as long as you have the basics like money and housing down. Everything else sort of just will fall into place. 

"Uncertainty is an uncomfortable position. But certainty is an absurd one." - Voltaire

So, I want to hear have any of you made a big move like this!? Or been thinking of making one?

Or if you live in SF, give me your rec's for all things to eat/drink/see/do as a new resident in the city!