it’s that itch again…

As I approach my last few weeks on this project and begin making plans to return to the States, I find myself once again thinking about where I want to live. Specifically, for the past three to four years, I’ve thought about making a move to San Francisco. Each time I visited for work/pleasure, I found myself thoroughly enjoying the life there and not wanting to leave. I’ve always known that San Francisco would be the only other place I could see myself moving to if I ever left New York.

After daydreaming about this for the past few years, it’s a bit unnerving that I might actually do it, within the next few months. And my mind’s inevitably filled with endless questions and dilemmas…

- Am I ready to transition from the familiar straight-forward east coast attitude to the happy, ‘euphoric’ optimism of the west coast?

- If I end up not liking San Francisco, would I have wasted my time?

- But I’ll be close to the outdoorsy activities that I love. I’ll be one step closer to Tahoe, wine country, scuba diving, good weather

- But am I okay with leaving behind my friends and family?

- And can I live without the four seasons?

- Can I give up amazing pizza, bagels, and world-class cuisine? And I don’t like Mexican food!

- And most of all, can I really leave New York without missing it and feeling miserable?

Despite all the back and forth wavering, I’m self-aware enough to know that I will ultimately follow my gut-instinct, or at least drive myself crazy until I do. And my instinct now is telling me to take advantage of this open opportunity – in between projects, no lease in New York, fresh perspectives from having just lived abroad – to explore the city I’ve been curious about for so long and understand myself a little deeper in the process.  I’m at a point in my life where I can afford to try out another lifestyle. And plus, New York will always be there if I choose to go back. In some ways, knowing that I can always feel at home in New York gives me the confidence to explore elsewhere. And giving San Francisco a try is just something I know that I have to do. It’s as simple as that.