Transitioning into the Unknown

How I moved across the country for a career change that almost didn't work out.

2 months ago I picked up my entire life in Dallas, after 5 years of being in Texas, and moved it all to Nashville, Tennessee. I had moved across the country once before, but this time I was strangely more nervous and absolutely terrified of the unknown. This next chapter of my life was what would truly define the start of adulthood—a new city, no friends, an apartment I had yet to see and a job that I was still very unsure of. But on February 22, 2019, I did it.

It’s crazy to think that less than a year ago I graduated from my alma mater with plans of working for this large corporate company in the middle of a city I had dreamed of moving to for years, and now, just 10 months later, I am in a brand new place, with an entirely different life than I had previously planned.

What’s crazier is that just 10 days into my new role, the property I was working at sold and I was told I would be transitioning into something else within my company. I had left my role as a market analyst in the medical insurance industry, one that was very stable and grounded, and re-entered property management, an industry where acquisitions and sales and mergers happen quite often; little did I know that my role at my first property in music city would be short-lived.

What the hell was I going to do? I had just moved everything I had to this place by myself and now, just as I was starting to settle down, chaos struck and my life plan was completely falling apart.

I am not one to be comfortable living life without a plan. I am often stressed by uncertainty and even more so by instability. I schedule my work days down to the hour in my $60 Erin Condren planner and make about 10 to-do lists a day in order to better organize my thoughts. So, I’m sure you all can imagine how challenging this news was for me. However, this new period of transition has taught me so much about taking each day one task at a time and trusting that every path in life will lead us to a different outcome. I have had to learn to be patient and to seek opportunities that complement my life in the moment and contribute to my long-term goals simultaneously, without overthinking every decision I make. It sounds about as complicated as it was for me—at first, at least—but day after day it got easier to understand how each choice would effect my life.

Many of us live such a fast-paced life in our twenties that we forget what it means to enjoy what we do, but that is why I moved here. I wanted to do what I love and pursue a career in something that made me happy every day. Nashville has introduced me to a life I have always wanted and one I didn’t necessarily know that I needed and even with the stress and the chaos and the constant change, this period of transition has brought so much happiness.

I know that with whatever path I choose, I will learn and grow from each experience.

New opportunities present themselves daily and my advice to anyone who is truly struggling with making the next big decision in their life is this:

Live every day in the present, eliminate the expectations that others have for you and ask yourself if the decision you are about to make will make you happy; will it contribute to your success and give you the experience and the perspective you need to make your next big decision? If you can answer yes to all of the above, then trust your gut and take a leap because then if it doesn’t work out, at least you can say that you tried.

Perseverance is everything. Don’t let life’s bumps and challenges break you. I remind myself of this every day and it’s the only reason I’m still standing tall.

Trust yourself and everything else will follow.

I’m still very unsure with the outcome of my recent career-altering decision, but stay tuned for what’s to come; I have a strong feeling it’s all going to be great.