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I left my job and boyfriend for an opportunity in Los Angeles. Within 4 months, I moved back home.
My short-lived stint in LA helped me feel more confident when I eventually moved to New York.Kirsty McCormackI always wanted to live in the US, so at 30, I left my London-based job for an opportunity in LA.My new life in Los Angeles didn't live up to my hopes, and I ended up leaving within months.Years later, I'm happily living in New York — and I can see that my LA experience taught me a lot.Growing up in London, I always dreamed of living in America.After visiting New York City for the first time as a 19-year-old, I started daydreaming about moving across the pond and working as a writer in Manhattan. I'd be the British version of Carrie Bradshaw, if you will — minus the designer wardrobe and bad taste in men.My boyfriend at the time told me I had my "head in the clouds," so I convinced myself the dream was unrealistic. (Perhaps I did have questionable taste in men?)At 25, I landed a dream role in London, where I worked my way up to an editor position within two years. My career was going well, but America was always in the back of my mind — and, so, I eventually started firing off my résumé to a few US publications in the hope that I might get a response.I was nine months into a new relationship when I was approached about a senior reporter role in Los Angeles. This time, I refused to choose a man over my dream, and so — days after my 30th birthday — I left my family, friends, and very supportive boyfriend to move over 5,000 miles away.After 16 weeks in LA, I called it quits and returned to EuropeAfter returning to London, I spent some short stints working remotely in places like Spain.Kirsty McCormackNot only did I take a pay cut when I moved to sunny California, but a slight title drop, too.As much as I liked LA, my new role wasn't a great fit for me. Deep down, I knew I wouldn't love this job as much as my last one, but taking the opportunity wasn't about my career. This was about getting the chance to live in the US.I only lasted seven weeks on the job, and lived in LA for a total of 16 weeks. It wasn't easy to find other work due to my visa, and I missed my (now long-distance) boyfriend like crazy.By the end of my stint there, I was spending most. of my time sitting alone on Malibu beaches, feeling lonely and trying not to spend money.After admitting defeat, I returned to London, feeling ashamed of how things had turned out. I couldn't shake the feeling that I'd failed.Being back in London wasn't easy, but I eventually got another chance to live in the USJust 10 days after my return, my boyfriend left to start a new job in Italy. Our relationship ended three months later, and I spiraled into a deep depression. I felt empty and lost.Now, I was working as a reporter again, but after everything I'd just been through, I didn't have the same ambition I once did. I wasn't even sure if I belonged in London, but I stayed — and when the COVID-19 pandemic shut everything down, I felt grateful to be close to my family.As life returned to "normal," I started spending short stints working remotely in Spain, Italy, and Portugal. It was during one of these trips that I was approached about a job in New York City.After a couple of calls, I accepted the offer and signed the contract while still in Spain. There was zero hesitation: New York had always been my dream.I was now 35, single, and without kids or pets. It's now or never, I told myself.My short-lived LA adventure taught me a very important lessonIn hindsight, I can see how much I learned from my time in LA.Kirsty McCormackHindsight is a wonderful thing. Looking back now, I can admit that I didn't put much effort into making a life for myself in LA. I didn't attempt to make friends or build a social life; I didn't even try that hard to find another job.I admitted defeat pretty early on, and that's OK. Although LA didn't work out, I know that — had I not moved to California — I may never have had the confidence to eventually accept the job on the East Coast.Those 16 weeks in LA proved to me that I could step outside my comfort zone and handle living on my own. Most importantly, I learned about my own resilience.When I accepted the job in Manhattan, I knew that if the role didn't work out or New York didn't live up to my expectations, the worst-case scenario would just look like packing my things up and moving back home — and this wouldn't make me a failure.Now, nearly three years later, I'm happy to say I've made amazing friends in New York, I've built a great social life, and my second attempt at living in the US has been the complete opposite of the first.Perhaps I was just in the wrong state, or LA was a trial run. Maybe, things simply unfold when they're meant to.One thing is certain, though: Hollywood and that heartbreak changed my life, and really made me the person I am today. I'm less fearful and more willing to try new things, and now, I know that I can live anywhere in the world and make the most of it.Read the original article on Business Insider
