It’s funny because when I was applying to colleges in high school, I remember thinking how much I loved San Francisco and the Bay Area and how badly I needed to get TF out of there. Although I’ve ALWAYS loved San Francisco and always will, I knew I needed a BIG change. Financially, I was going to put myself through school so I couldn’t afford to attend college out of state, so I applied to colleges as far as I could, which was basically anywhere past Santa Barbara and everywhere in Southern California. I toured Long Beach and loved the campus, plus, I loved how close it was to all the cities and beaches nearby. It seemed like a great fit for me, given the the diverse districts like Retro Row, Belmont Shore and Downtown, it felt like small part of San Francisco, and for me, felt like a place I could call home for the next four years.

After college, I decided I wanted to stay and honestly, my independence was something I felt I could never give up, and where I live is a place I feel you can’t really beat, at least in my twenties.

A few perks of living in Southern California (if you’re thinking of making a change):

+ The weather is pretty much ALWAYS warm and did wonders for my skin. Eversince I moved to SoCal, I haven’t broke out in eczema ONCE. It was TERRIBLE and uncontrollable throughout high school.

+ The beach towns along PCH after Santa Barbara all the way down to San Diego are insane. The water is significantly warmer especially in the Summer, which is NEVER the case in NorCal. They’re all so beautiful and so different. They’re busy, they’re quiet. They’re actually more affordable than you think sometimes.

P.S. Another reason why I moved and decided to stay…

If you grew up surrounded by a HUGE family, like myself, you know exactly how it feels to have an overwhelmingly sense of pressure to think and believe a certain way…even if you want different, it’s nearly impossible to move different. It’s very hard to do things by yourself and on your own.

Hence, the big move for me. Being completely by myself, but just a phone call away, did wonders for my self improvement and growth. I truly think it’s NEVER a bad thing to move away if you need to self-reflect and work on yourself. Putting yourself first to build self-awareness not only benefits you, but also others. Finding myself far away from home was probably the best thing I could have done even though I was scared shitless and also excited in my late teens.

If you’re thinking of making the big move, don’t be! As scary as it is, it is JUST as rewarding!

Cheers!

xx,

Bri.

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