I’ve lived in the DC Metro area my entire life but just a week ago I left the east coast and moved out west all the way to Southern California. As I reflect on my cross country move and one of the biggest changes of my life, a few things came across my mind:
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Washington, D.C. is a truly beautiful, sophisticated and clean city with tons of museums, monuments and diverse food and people. It’s also a highly transient area and people come and go from all over the world all the time; it’s very easy to meet to new people with different experiences and culture. In DC you also experience all four seasons. Spring is the best because the cherry blossoms bloom in all the perfect places in the city and they make for charming photos.
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I must say, Southern California is the place to be. Best perks so far? The weather, quick access to the many beaches, and a dog friendly state. While having all seasons is appealing, I think I can get used this all year round warmth especially when I can stay active outside even in the month of January. There’s also nothing like knowing you can get to the beach in 10 minutes and even bring the dog!
- Moving to a new area makes you appreciate where you came from. We usually don’t choose where we grow up and sometimes it’s hard to pinpoint how you got from one place or another but never forget where you started as each step helps you produce the next.
- It’s scary what fear can hold you back from. Staying in the comforts of the known and certain in DC wouldn’t have been a bad thing but I may have missed out on the things I’m already beginning to love on the west coast. The unknown can be an opportunity.
- DSO is awesome with its global footprint and large hubs on both the east and west coast. I feel lucky I can move from one coast to another and seamlessly contribute to and participate in DSO.
Contributed by Hannah Hsu