I’m moving to NYC in October 2022.
That decision came from a fairly nutty weekend spent there in September. I visited my coaching buddy and met him for the first time in real life.
We got very little sleep in those three days.
In a few hours, I’m heading up north for another round.
Here’s my plan before I move house:
1) Every two months or so, I’ll go up and stay with my friend for a weekend.
I want as much exposure as I can before moving my life there. It’s a three-and-a-half-hour trek, which is roughly two solid phone calls with friends.
The point here is to eat the food, meet some peeps, and desensitize myself from the fast-paced culture. Shockingly, things move a lot slower in the suburbs of Maryland than they do in New York City.
Finally, the main goal is to spend time around neighborhoods I might want to move to. So far, I’m thinking Williamsburg—which I hear is the yuppy and trendy area of Brooklyn. I’ve never tried elitism, but I’m down for anything.
This move is very much a business investment. I want to be surrounded by young folks who are pursuing fun and interesting lives and who have money to pay for someone like me to help them do just that.
I told that to my two friends in Brooklyn and they both said, “Yeah, you want Williamsburg. You’ll have to yup it up.”
2) In the spring, I’ll get an AirBnB for a week or two in the neighborhood I’m thinking.
I’ll take a few days off, but this won’t be a vacation. It’ll be a beta test.
I’ll have normal workdays. I’ll get a trial gym membership. I’ll go grocery shopping.
For two weeks, it’ll be as though I truly live there.
3) Prep for the move.
This means getting my finances ready to pay $2500 a month for rent and utilities. As well as moving with as few physical items to my name as humanly possible.
I’m basically a minimalist. But when I moved last year, I realized I still owned a shit-ton of stuff. I can’t imagine what non-minimalists (muggles?) go through when they move.
For budgeting, I’ve been using this stupid simple sheet from Female in Finance. A friend turned me on to her and it has helped tremendously.
As for the move, I plan on selling or donating 80% of my stuff so I don’t have to transport it. Books, furniture, my soul.
I’m excited, to say the least. And nervous.
Which is why this is the right choice. If I’m not doing things that scare me, I’m not growing…I’m not leveling up.
This weekend will be much more productive than the last.
So the journey begins.