Everything was the same: Same day of work at the same job, same roommates, same occasional hangouts with friends, same repetitive bus rides and grocery shopping trips, same classes at the same community college with no tangible milestone to show for it. And then one day, a phone call from my dad: “Hey Christian, as you know, your mom and I are moving to Yakima, Washington this December, and as always, you are more than welcome to join us.”
When I looked at my life at that point, everything just felt like it was telling me it was time, and now, at thirty years old, I look back on that moment as one of the best decisions I've ever made.
Three years ago, I took a ten-hour drive with my parents in a truck filled with all our stuff, and I moved from Orange County, California to Yakima, Washington. After eight years in Orange County, life provided the perfect stepping stone to a change of scenery and removal of comforts. Now I find myself in my senior year of earning my bachelor's in business administration and living with the partner I would have never met had I not made the change.
After graduating from high school thirteen years ago, I moved from Utah to Southern California. After the first couple of months, I found a job at a pizza place that let me pay the bills and met one of my best friends to this day. That initial meeting with that person just felt like the right place at the right time, because it introduced me to a great network of friends that would make California my new home.
With a new job, attending school, and my tight group of friends, things were good, and even after seven years, they were still good. But as things became familiar and consistent, I felt myself no longer growing as a person and just sort of plateauing in life. I wanted new challenges, new opportunities, new scenery, and a laser focus.
When I decided to move to Washington three years ago, leaving behind my steady and reliable job and my friends, I had my eye on one specific ball: finishing college. Like magic, removing myself from all my comforts and my routines made this one goal stand out from everything else around me. I did whatever had to be done, while making time for work and a partner, but keeping my focus on school.
Now here I am, two quarters away from finishing the degree that I set out to obtain when I moved here. I am focused on my current goals and am keeping my eyes on potential opportunities that could one day become new goals. I am satisfied with all I have, but as has happened before, that satisfaction could easily transform into another case of new experiences becoming the same experiences happening day-to-day and a need to hit" Refresh" once again.
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