After 15 years on the East Coast, and 9+ with Travel Channel, my wife and I decided to move to LA this past month. Making such a drastic move without any kind of job secured is completely unlike me, but the timing of everything felt like the right moment to do it. The cushion of being so much closer to family made the decision to jump coasts easier. As I get older, I realize more and more that you only have one chance at everything. Age has a way of putting that in perspective - what's truly important and what is not. If you're chronically unhappy or your soul is itching for a different situation, its already far past the time to try to make that change happen. For years I neglected that feeling in the name of security. I became lulled and sedentary by familiarity. While that's fine if that's what you want, I do believe being outside your comfort zone is good - if not necessary to grow as a professional and human being. And so it was time to be uncomfortable again. For the first time in over a decade, I'll be pushed to be in unfamiliar places with new people, doing new things. And I'm thrilled by the opportunity to experience that again.
We chose to make the move our vacation this year in the form of a cross country trip. Extended over two weeks, we saw old friends and family spread out over the country, ate a lot of good food, witnessed my logo in action at Saloon Door Brewing in Houston, TX, went hiking in Sedona, AZ (absolutely beautiful) and saw the Grand Canyon (absolutely mind-blowing). I'm now writing this from an apartment near West Hollywood, listening to palm trees rustle in the wind outside my window. Life definitely doesn't suck.
For the time being, I'll be freelancing unless the right full-time opportunity comes across my plate. I have openings in my calendar starting next week, so book me while you can!
I'll miss my DC/NYC/Travel Channel family, but the friendships I made and all the experiences/opportunities they gave are coming along with me as we begin a new adventure. Cheers to change!