5 Reasons Why You Should Spontaneously Move Across the Country During a Global Pandemic
The Pandemic has been devastating to many, and at minimum draining to all in some form or fashion. With that being said, I do not wish to downplay our current collective circumstances whatsoever. And although there is light at the end of the long COVID-19 tunnel with a vaccine approval & rollout plan underway, we still have a ways to go before it will be safe to convene in groups again. Despite the ample doom & gloom of 2020— For some (like me) it’s opened up windows of opportunity we otherwise wouldn’t have had. Like packing up the Hyundai Santa Fe, and moving to the West Coast to work remotely until: TBD.
I love to travel *says every millennial ever*. But seriously, is there anything quite like the exhilarating rush and anticipation upon exploring somewhere you’ve never been before? Combine that wanderlust with an indefinite WFH mandate, and you get a West Coast bound blonde and her brunette best friend road-tripping across the upper left United States. We started our adventure in the Twin Cities mid-September with *incredibly loose* plans of making our way through the following cities over the course of nine months: Minneapolis → Boise, ID → Portland, OR → Sacramento, CA → San Diego, CA → Tucson, AZ → Austin, TX → Back to MSP (possibly)! In essence, making a big squarish loop around the Western United States. Presently, we are sitting right at the tail end of our PNW portion.
When I turned 27 ten months ago, I shouted from the rooftops (or at least from floor 13 of my office building) that “This is going to be MY year!”. Although technically we can exclaim this every year, I truly felt it in my bones this time. Boy was I ever right, and boy was I ever wrong. To say 2020 has been a rollercoaster ride would be an understatement. Claiming a year as *yours* is comical, because every year is “yours”. Every second of every day is yours, but within our lives we have a limited scope of control of our circumstances. At the end of the day we truly have no idea what twists and turns await us. And that’s what can make life scary, but more so what makes it fun.
As my favorite Native American Princess once sang— what could be waiting just around the river bend? Can you imagine if Pocahontas had married Kocoum instead of trusting her intuition? She never would’ve met swoony John Smith! Or bridged the divide between the colonists and her tribe. Point being — If we can muster enough universal faith to let go of the utter lack of control we have, we can better embrace the ebbs and flows of the day to day currents as they come. And doubly, make choices that more closely align to our truest selves.
1. Being somewhere new can give you a much needed shift in perspective.
As a native Minnesotan, I am obligatorily well versed in the art of weather related small talk. We all love to hate the cold Minnesota winters, and even bond over it. But after 26 winters in my frigid home state, I couldn’t be more ready for a switch up to that cycle.
Speaking of cycles… have you ever found yourself feeling like you’re spinning your tires in the same activity and thought spirals day in and day out? Or maybe you’re doing activities with certain people or groups that really aren’t filling your cup, possibly even draining it. Nothing shakes up a tiresome funk like introducing new faces and frame of references.
Since embarking on this cross country endeavor, I’ve felt a recalibration in my priorities. I noticed certain relationship dynamics and activities that weren’t serving me anymore starting to fall away. I’ve been able to better edit my day to day choices and activities, and make room to engage with things I truly enjoy — Such as hiking, reading, blogging, journaling and running. The benefits of this change of scenery are numerous, but having the space to reevaluate how you want to spend your time and developing new or neglected habits has been crucial.
2. Getting out of your comfort zone challenges your brain.
It’s proven science that travel changes the brain. When thrust into new surroundings, it’s quite literally forced to forge new connections in its cerebral matter to process the new information. Our brains are also excellent pattern recognizers, so forging these new pathways of information enables your brain to be more adaptable and resilient as you encounter new scenarios and situations for years to come. Mega #longtermgains.
3. Meeting new people with culturally diverse backgrounds or differing perspectives.
Ok if I’m being honest, the amount of ‘new friends’ I’ve made has been minimal. And by minimal I mean none. Unless the sweet man selling newspapers outside of the grocery store counts? But typically — in non-Covid times, travel can broaden our cultural horizons dramatically. And enables us to come across people with more diverse perspectives or backgrounds different from your own. This can only benefit us in the long term, because it makes us more understanding and empathetic about our differences, and reminds us of our shared humanity.
4. Renewed Appreciation for ‘Home’. Or maybe you found your new forever Home. Win — Win.
Many people told me that I’d miss MN when I left, and honestly they weren’t wrong. But not enough to avoid living elsewhere. I love the city of Minneapolis, it’s full of my favorite humans, memories, and — lakes. Oftentimes we take for granted what we have when we have access to it everyday. So getting away can truly give you a renewed and refreshed appreciation for where you’re from. You might realize the grass isn’t always greener and desire to go home (although I can attest EVERYTHING is greener in the Douglas Fir haven that is the northwest). OR you might find a new long term home that feels more aligned with your desired lifestyle. Either way — you can’t go wrong.
5. Forced self discovery!
Being away from home, and frankly the Pandemic in general, have both inadvertently created more time and space for self reflection and self discovery. Oftentimes I’ve found that the things I enjoy the most are things I enjoyed doing as a kid, like playing (hiking) in the woods and writing to name a few. But I’ve also learned more about my values and beliefs by being away from home. It’s given me the space I needed to develop where I stand on important matters because I’m not as closely swayed or influenced by the environment I grew up in. I’ve started to challenge old ways of thinking, and at times literally feel my self growing and stretching.
In summary, making lemonade out of the COVID-19 era lemons via relocation has been exceedingly advantageous for myself personally. And if I had to boil it down to three bullets, I’d say my favorite aspects of the journey so far are: 1. New perspectives & shifts in the way I think 2. Renewed appreciation for what (& who) I have in my life 3. Personal growth and reconnecting with activities that I truly enjoy.
On a broader scale, the pandemic has been a massive reminder that life is so short. The current life expectancy in the United States for a female is 78.5 years… that boils down to only 28,667 days. And even less for males. So, if you have a goal or a dream in mind, don’t wait for perfect circumstances — just do the damn thing. Move across the country. Make a career pivot. Take that leap, whatever that means for you. Only growth & learning can await you on the other side.