You're in a rut. Every day of your life you do the same thing, so much so that you're starting to think you're starring in your own version of Groundhog Day. You flip through issues of AFAR magazine or scour the Internet for apartments in other cities, maybe even cities you've never considered going to before. You need a change of scenery, but you're just not sure where to begin.
“I always suggest writing down a list of what ‘ideal’ features you want your home to have,” realtor at Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate, April Kozlowski Palomino, tells Bustle. “Then decide which items are absolute must haves and which items would be nice but not necessary or of great importance if the home didn't have it. This will make your shopping a more seamless and less frustrating experience.”
Once you've decided what you want, the next step is to figure out where you want it, if you can afford it, and if you're even ready to make that move. While you can sometimes wiggle your way out of year-long lease by having to pay fee, do you really want to be that person? Instead, don't you want to be that person who jumps into a new city and never looks back? If yes, then here are seven ways to know you're ready to move to a new city.
1You Feel Stuck In The Same Routine
"[It might be time to move to a new city if] you are doing the same things each day, week, month, and year," Jenn DeWall, millennial life and career coach, tells Bustle. "Essentially you have created a personal bubble and are just going through the motions."
Even if you love your job and your friends, after awhile things can become monotonous and stagnant. But that's no way to go through life. As author Jack London once wrote, “The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.” So don't just exist; live.
2You Want To Challenge Yourself
According to DeWall, if you want to grow, have new experiences, and learn more about the world, as well as learn more about yourself, you need to jump out of your comfort zone and explore.
3You Can No Longer Keep Up With Booming Rents In Your Current City
If you're being priced out of your current city, it's time to make a move.
"[You're ready to move to another city if] your current city is not affordable and you are struggling to keep up," DeWall says. "You can't afford to have a life and do what you want to do." No one should have to live paycheck-to-paycheck.
4You Have No Real Reason To Stay Where You Are
Maybe there's nothing keeping you in the city, so why are you sticking around? What are you waiting for? "Perhaps you had friends there at one time but they moved away," DeWall says. "If nothing is keeping you there and you aren't loving it, make a change!"
Sure, it's not going to be easy to start from scratch in a new city, but if you made friends before, you can make friends again. It's just time to put yourself out there.
5You're Looking For A Better Quality Of Life
"You want a higher quality of life," DeWall says. "You want to live in a city that focuses on health and wellness to help you grow in those areas. Or you want a shorter commute so you're spending less time trying to get to work."
Some cities have too much smog, some cities have too much trash, some cities just don't know how to relax, and some cities just feel like a rat race. Every city has its downsides and if you're done with those particular downsides, then that's a way to know it's time for a change. Your quality of life shouldn't be an afterthought.
6You've Never Lived Anywhere Else Before
"You have never lived anywhere else before, [then it might be time to try a new city]," DeWall says. "You have never gone through the experience of writing a new chapter, meeting new people, exploring a city, and trying something new than what you have known."
The unknown can seem really scary, but once you get settled in a new city that you love, you'll wonder why you didn't move sooner.
7You're Ready For Something New And Exciting
Looking for a fresh start? Then moving to a new city is exactly what you need then.
"[If] you are discouraged and down, or you have bad memories and experiences that are making you feel awful [then it's time for a new city]," DeWall says. "It's not running from your past; it's giving yourself the opportunity for a fresh start."
Moving to a new city gives you a chance not just to reinvent yourself, but find the you that maybe you never even knew existed.
