10 Signs It’s Time To Move To A New City

1. Every local knows your name.

All of the bars in your area know your name and drink of choice or can tell what kind of day you had by your drink; whiskey on the rocks, rough day — champagne, oh what are we celebrating? Every restaurant you go to knows your order. Your picture is on every establishment contest wall… you’ve clearly worn out your welcome, it is time to make new memories in a new city!

2. Whenever you hear about someone moving you immediately become jealous!

You hear that someone is moving to another city (even if it is a neighboring city) you begin to cringe, start to hate that person and/or immediately unfollow them on social media because you can’t stand to see anther picture or post about how much fun they’re having in their new city. No it is not because they threw away your milk in the 6th grade, it is because you are jealous and you which you had the balls to pick up and go!

3. Your lack of local cultural interest has intensified.

If you drive around your town and everything makes you sick. Or if every time someone invites you to a local museum, amusement park or local attraction you cringe. Sick of seeing the same people do the same dances at the same venues, to the point to were your idea of a good weekend is curling up and watching Netflix all weekend, then maybe it is time for a change of scenery. You are only going to continue to resent life and start to become the “negative” friend.

4. You have never experienced another culture outside of your towns culture.

A book and watching TV can only take you so far. Heck, visiting a place for a week will barely let you experience enough. Not everyone in the world is as rude as New Yorkers and not everyone in world is as chill as Bay Areans! Time to spread your wings and figure out what it is like to live with people who come from a completely different type of lifestyle (you might like it and it will help diversify you).

5. You cannot experience your city to the fullest because of the demands on my life right now.

Living in a party city but don’t have time to party because you have to work 3 jobs to stay in that city, you can’t go out to local galleries or outdoor concerts because you are stuck trying to get every freelance gig you can to pay rent. Yeah it is cool to have these options, but what is the point if you cannot take advantage of them? Also chances are you are stressing yourself out and who wants to live a stressful life?

6. You can no longer keep up with your lifestyle.

You love to travel but can’t because your rent is more than a mortgage in most states. You love to party but can’t because you have worn out your welcome at every bar/club in your town and local towns. You love to surf but can’t because the closest thing to a body of water is a lake or over half of the year it is too cold to even think of going near water. It just maybe time to relocate to city that will satisfy your lifestyle.

7. Your goals have changed.

I always hear people say “I am ready to start a family, but this city is the worst to fall in love in”, well what are you still doing there? Sure you might have moved to a city to fulfill what you thought at the time was your dream. But what happens, when you moved somewhere to chase a dream and now all of your dreams have changed? It is okay to admit that your goals in life have changed and your current city isn’t contributing to helping your new goals become reality. It is also okay to admit that you now value family and though your parents use to get on your nerves now you miss them terribly (they aren’t getting younger and neither are you).

8. You feel you have gone as far as you can in your perspective career.

How many plays can you really be the star of in Cincinnati, OH? How many times can you do covers at a local bar in Portland, OR? If your industry has little to no presences in your city and you are at a creative standstill, a new environment might not only help but it might just push you to do better.

9. You are stuck trying to chase a memory.

Yes, your town was the best in your college years. Yes, your city seemed magical because you were in an amazing relationship. But everything changes and you cannot sit and wait for the past to reoccur. No more being the oldest person at your college parties or trying to continue to make memories like the past, it is time to move on and elsewhere. I promise your new memories will be just as EPIC as the old ones! Change maybe scary, but it is always worth the try.

10. Nothing is holding you there!

Let’s face it, you are not getting any younger and the older you get the more responsibilities you have. So if all of your friends live in another city, you work at a job you are miserable at, you are single with no prospects, you cry when friends and/or family send you photos of everyone together and/or every chance you get your out of town… If two or more of these apply to you, then yep it’s time to MOVE!