Ok, serious suspense-inducing life update for you guys. I know I’ve been teasing it a bit dramatically over on Instagram but I wanted to take the time to write a blog post to explain myself further. My apologies for keeping you hanging!

So I guess I gave it away in the title. Yep, I’m officially moving to LA. Writing the word “officially” just now almost made me break out in hives. You see, I haven’t “officially” committed to living in one place for over three years now. In fact, it’s been almost exactly three years since I packed up the life I once had in LA and moved it back in with my parents like every 29 year old dreams of (insert eye roll) in order to save money for this travel life. Fun fact: I have been paying $34 a month for a storage unit full of stuff in LA for three years straight and I’ve completely forgotten what’s inside it!

So why exactly am I moving back to LA? Isn’t it everyone’s dream to live out of a suitcase frolicking around the world without a care in the world? Maybe you’re in a place right now in your life where your ultimate dream is to do just that — and trust me, I’ve been there. But that’s not the place I’m at in my life at this current moment.

Traveling is my greatest love and truly makes me happier than anything, but over the last year especially I’ve been really craving things like…*gasp*…routine. Dun dun dun. Yup, I actually want a routine. I can’t believe I just typed that.

The truth is, I’m absolutely terrified. I haven’t paid rent in three years (just a lot of money in travel expenses), but I’m ready to get this manifestation shit going and attract more abundance into my life. I think this is truly the next step I need to force myself to take more actions to move my business forward. It feels like this is one of those “now or never moments” so I’m capitalizing on the now!

If you care to know more about why I’m taking this big step then read on for all the deets!

10 Reasons Why I’m Moving Back to LA

1. I Don’t Want to Travel as Much 

Ok, ok, don’t freak out. I’m still going to be traveling a lot and have quite a few fun things lined up for this year, but if I’m being honest with you, I’d like to scale it back a bit. See, it came to a point in 2018 where I felt like I had set all these big goals for my business and I fell majorly short. Why? Because I was always on the go.

I don’t want to be someone that makes excuses, but it’s hard to deny the fact that constant travel makes focusing on business more challenging. Like, a LOT more challenging. There were countless hours spent travel planning when I could have been focusing on delivering you all better content. There were times with horrible wifi that made my productivity levels plummet. Plus, let’s face it: when you’re in a destination for one week only, the last thing you want to do is have your nose stuck in a computer screen.

I could write a laundry list of reasons why full-time travel makes maintaining a business so difficult, but I’ll spare you. Instead I’ll just say that I’ve come to a realization and it’s this: The level of travel I’ve been maintaining is not sustainable long term, so if I want to build a lifestyle and business with longevity and avoid burnout, I need to slow down a bit and prioritize the right stuff.

2. I Want a Sanctuary to Come Home To 

Of course I will still be traveling, but when I’m not on the road I’d love to have my own sanctuary to come home to. When I was in between trips in the past, I was either staying with friends or at my step dad’s home in Virginia (which I technically call home now even though I didn’t grow up there). Here’s the thing — I’ve still always been living in someone else’s home. I’m looking forward to having a place that I can put love and energy into so that I can more easily decompress and focus when I’ve landed back from a trip.

3. To Focus on My Health

One of the biggest things that has suffered in my life from not having a steady place to live is undoubtedly my health. I’m not in nearly as good of shape as I’d like to be and am constantly having to adapt to different scenarios in order to keep my eating well/workout routines running smoothly. I think so much of health is formed through habit and I honestly can’t wait to come home to the same kitchen and gym in between every trip.

4. To Clear Mental Space and Improve Productivity 

As I touched on before, routine is something I once dreaded but now crave. My perspective on routine has shifted entirely and I actually think it’s quite necessary for humans to have some sort of routine to be successful and work towards goals.

I’m hoping that being in one place for a while will clear up some of my mental space that has been dedicated to this big question of where to live (not to mention constantly planning my next trip) so that I can focus on building a routine that supports my goals for wellness and business.

5. Community

Before I started this whole travel blogging journey, I actually lived in LA for four years. Since then, some of my closest friends have moved away but some have stayed. I can’t wait to be in closer proximity to them, especially as they go through things like getting married and having babies. I don’t want to miss out on being there for the important moments!

I also feel like being constantly on the go can feel quite isolating at times (I guess unless you’re a #travelcouple, but I wouldn’t know). I’ve become friends with so many cool travel creatives that are actually based out of LA too, so I’m hoping to turn some of those “insta friends” into real life friends! I feel like my life in LA now will be so different than my LA life four years ago and it should be interesting to see how it unfolds.

6. To Live in a Place With More Creative Energy

With so many more travel creatives living in LA then out in the woods in Charlottesville (ha – where I am currently typing this), I’m hoping there will be a lot more opportunities to collaborate. In general, there is just so much more creative energy in LA — everything from the restaurants and shops and hotels to events taking place constantly. Everything in LA just buzzes with creativity.

7. Easier Access to Airports and Local Treasures 

It’s no secret that LAX is one of the biggest airport hubs in the country and I miss having so many flight options at my fingertips. When I used to fly out of LA back when I lived there, it would take me a whopping 15 minutes to get to the airport. Can you imagine?! SO easy.

But in addition to being able to fly out more easily, I’m looking forward to hitting the road and exploring more local gems — California is full of them! There are so many places I didn’t take advantage of exploring when I lived in LA previously — places like San Diego, Death Valley, Carmel, Ojai, and the Alabama Hills. And those are just awesome destinations right in California. I’m hoping for some longer road trips as well to Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada. I do love the East Coast as it’s where I grew up after all, but there’s just something about the American West that inspires me like no other.

8. Work Opportunities 

I hate to say it, but when you live in a bigger city there are just more work opportunities, period. Events, meetings, networking, collaborations. Yes, I’ll have to pay more to live in a big city, but I’m hoping that what I get out of it will be worth it in the long run.

9. To Improve My Dating Life

Ugh. The bane of my existence…dating. It’s actually not something I’ve thought much about the last few years as I’ve focused on travel and putting all the love I have to give into my business, but it’s time. I’m 32 now, and while my age is not something I feel stressed about at all, I would like my thirties to be the decade where I finally find a partner to conquer the globe with…literally.

10. I Needed a Kick in the Butt

There’s nothing that motivates you to take action quite like a dwindling bank account, am I right? I hate to admit this, but while I’ve been really great at generating awesome ideas over the past few years, I haven’t been so great at taking action on those ideas. Why? Well of course there are factors like self doubt and limiting beliefs and all the shit you go through as an entrepreneur, but I think it’s partially because I’ve gotten a bit too comfortable.

Money has never been a huge driver for me and since I’ve been able to afford this lifestyle while living at home in between trips it’s worked for me just fine. No longer. I’m prepared to shell out a pretty penny for rent and know that if I put my mind to it I can make it work. I’m hoping this move will be the kick in the butt I need to help propel me into action and move these big goals I have forward!

This was taken when I lived in LA over 4 years ago! LOL

FAQ

(and by “frequently asked questions” I mean, the ones I’ve been asking over and over again in my head):

So when am I actually moving? 

Um, like in two days. Eek! This is something I’ve been thinking about for awhile and it’s crazy that it’s happening so soon. My car (or rather, my mom’s old car. ps – if you see an ancient 2004 Lexus rolling around LA give me a wave) has already been shipped across the country. I leave on a flight departing for LAX in two days!

Where will I live, because isn’t LA like 5 million cities in one?

Not sure yet! I’ll be staying with family and friends for a bit while I scope it out and figure out what I can reasonably afford. I’m obsessed with Venice and hope to land there but prices have gone up astronomically since I lived in the area three years ago, so we’ll see!

How long will I be there?

TBD. I have no idea what will happen in the coming months. Six months from now I could wake up and decide LA is no longer for me…and I’m fully prepared for that. Or I could watch years fly by before my eyes. Who knows. Life is an adventure and I’m just along for the ride.

Am I going to stop traveling?

No way. But I am looking forward to exploring more local treasures in California! Send me all the recs.

What do you love so much about LA?

Let me be honest. There are some things I love about LA…and there are also some things I really don’t like. But I’ve come to realize that no place is perfect and there will be compromises no matter where I choose to live. The things I love most about LA: The weather (duh), the fact that I have a lot of friends there, the almost incessant sunshine and the close proximity to so many beautiful parts of our country. I also love that it does feel like a bunch of little cities within one, so it’s sort of like a choose your own adventure vibe. My favorite part of LA is Venice Beach and the reason is sort of intangible. It attracts a very eclectic and special group of people and there are few places like it in the world!

PS – If any of you are out in LA and want to collaborate, hit a girl up! Thanks as always for supporting me on this new adventure and feel free to drop me a line on my Instagram if you have any questions!