How I Quit My Tech Job In Seattle And Moved To Los Angeles

Now I‘m a full-time writer and content creator.

When I was young, my whole life revolved around the idea that I should go to college, get a degree in the tech field, get a job that pays well, and, you know, sell my soul to the corporate world.

I don’t actually have anything against working a corporate job; I think some people were made to thrive in that type of environment — I wasn’t.

I was homeschooled in high school, which allowed me to go to college during sophomore year, and it was decided that because my cousin made the most in our family as a software engineer, then I should become one too.

I went to college, ended up in a tech program, which resulted in me interning at Yahoo as a data analyst, and then at an aerospace tech company as a financial specialist, and then at a startup as an operations coordinator.

I did the “tech” thing, and I really hated the tech thing, so I decided to save some money and leave my life in Seattle and move to Los Angeles.

My family was blindsided, and, honestly, I was kind of too.

If you feel insecure or uncertain about the path you want to take, then just try everything

I was not the most confident individual growing up; I didn’t have a “passion” for anything. If you count reading a passion, then I should have become a professional reader.

This is why it was incredibly easy for me to be influenced; there wasn’t anything in particular that I wanted to do with my life.

Sure, I had interests. I’ve always loved the idea of writing screenplays, books, creating TV shows, but those dreams felt far-fetched in the world I was raised in.

So I tried everything. I tried coding, data analysis, finances, operations, and I was good at everything because I wanted to be a good employee.

That didn’t mean I was the right person for the job; it just meant I understood what was expected out of me, and I was good at figuring it out.

After months of trying and secretly dying on the inside, I made the decision to move.

I had always dreamt of living in Los Angeles, I just never think I’d be able to actually do it. I didn’t know how or why, but there was a voice in the back of my head that was telling me I’d be okay. I would figure it out.

Save save save save save save save save — did I mention save?

I’ve heard the stories of people moving to Los Angeles with less than $200 in their bank account, and I applaud them.

I was not one of those people. I wish I could say I moved with a few bucks, but I spent three months trying to pay off school debt, pay for rent, my car, and save at least $10,000 for my move.

Also, I’m not a saver. I’m strictly a spender. So, it was a little challenging.

However, what helped was knowing I was moving towards something big and beautiful — and something nobody in my family has ever done before.

Mostly though, what got me through was knowing that I was doing this for me.

Don’t let anyone stop you

Don’t let anyone stop you. Not your boss from the job you’re leaving, not your friends, not your best friend, definitely not your partner or your ex, and most definitely not family either.

I lived with my cousin at the time, and she was incredibly encouraging, which was nice, but my mom was really scared, not in the sense of, “I don’t think you can do it,” but more so, “why?”.

I got her on my side after I explained my side and assured her that I’d be just fine, and, well, she already knows that I’m the type of person who will always just figure it out one way or another.

My boss tried to stop me, promising me a higher-paying position, no thanks, and my friends tried to stop me, telling me it would be extremely tough to survive in LA (thank you, friends, for all your support), and my ex tried to stop me and then tried to convince me to take him with me — absolutely not.

When people hear that you’re chasing your dreams or doing something they don’t understand, they get jealous — usually, it’s because they’re unhappy with their own lives, and the idea of someone else escaping bothers them.

Don’t let anyone stop you. What’s the absolute worst that can happen?

Look for a job when you move to your desired location OR look prior to moving

I found an apartment on Craigslist; I had two roommates. The room was furnished, and my roommates were two great guys that are now close friends of mine.

I moved without securing my apartment; the date I was supposed to move was July 21st, 2018; I ended up moving on July 4th. I had around 9k in my bank account after paying for a hotel.

I still remember the drive from Seattle to Los Angeles. There was nothing more beautiful. I woke up at 4 am, with this feeling that I can’t describe. I felt like I was doing exactly what I was meant to be doing, and all those years before that moment were a work in motion to set me up to where I’m at now.

I worked remotely for a tech startup the first few months of living in LA; if you really want a job, you’ll find a way to make it happen. I only made two grand a month from it, but it was enough to cover rent, food, and my expensive coffee addiction.

I worked as a waitress at a hip restaurant in Venice. I around twice the amount there as I did the previous job. I was still pretty lost in terms of my career, but I was living a life I was genuinely enjoying. I met celebrities, I face-timed my mom every single day, I met my now-boyfriend who introduced me to all of his friends. I went to the beach every single day and ate incredible food.

So many people are afraid to step out of the boxes they created for themselves out of fear that whatever is outside of it won’t be as good as what they currently have, and so they force themselves to be okay with mediocrity.

Why settle when the opportunities in this world are limitless?

3 years later, I live in LA — with my partner, and I’m working on growing my own business

I’ve been here for almost three years now, and sometimes I have to remind myself of how I got here.

It wasn’t easy. I had a lot of people who tried to tell me I couldn’t be here.

There were times where I barely had enough money for rent. However, I’ve never once felt like I made the wrong decision. Everything was calculated, and everything is, after all — figureoutable.

As for my career, well, I figured it out two years ago when I first tried to become a food blogger. That was my introduction into the blogging world, and I realized just how much I love writing, although not necessarily about food.

I pivoted, and now I’m in the midst of growing my lifestyle blog, my YouTube channel, doing freelance writing, and working on my book(s).

I’m nowhere near where I want to be yet, but I can confidently say I’m on the right path, and I’ve never felt more at peace with the direction that my life is headed in.

My advice to you is this if you feel like you’re destined for something outside of what you currently have, then go for it.

Shoot high, don’t let people tell you that you can’t do it, and remember that everything is figureoutable.

As Marie Forleo says,

“You wouldn’t have the dream if you didn’t already know have what it takes to make it happen.”