I'm Glad We Went For It

...something had to change

Ten years ago I was living in my parents' basement in a house right outside of Washington, DC. I had graduated from college. I didn't like my job. I wasn't earning enough income to have anything to show for it. I felt like I was treading water and in a doom loop of doing the same thing every day and getting nowhere.  

I realized that something had to change. I would not become a victim to the circumstances I put myself in. I am not wired to sit still and accept the status quo.

When something isn't working for me, I change it or change me. 

I craved a different life and needed to branch out and take a leap. 

I talked to my girlfriend, Brittany, and convinced her that we should start looking at making a move together, away from everything we knew -- away from all our friends and family.

A fresh start.

She must have seen something in me, because she agreed to this vision, that to others, appeared crazy. 

We decided we would make a move on the East Coast, to a warmer climate, and that we wanted to be close to the beach. 

After exploring the East Coast's major cities online, we found Jacksonville, Florida. 

Really, all we knew about Jacksonville was that I-95 went right through it and there was a naval base and an airport there. The beaches looked nice. But most importantly - the affordability of the city made it very attractive (keep in mind this was 2014). With how affordable it was, we could have a chance at building our financial future, something we felt was missing in Washington, DC. 

The plan started moving forward fast once we agreed on the location. 

Within a few months, I quit my job and moved to Jacksonville.

(hauling that beautiful 1999 Toyota Camry!)

The plan was that once I got settled in Jacksonville, Brittany would follow a few months later. 

There was no guarantee of Brittany actually joining me.

If I'm being honest, I often had doubts that she would take the leap at all. The only upside for her was literally being with me. We had an amazing relationship, but leaving everything behind to start new with your broke boyfriend in a new city is a big ask.

Lucky for me, she did indeed take a chance on her crazy boyfriend and came down and moved in with me. Phew. 

Looking back, this one decision to move away from everything and everyone we knew, changed the entire trajectory of our lives. 

For me, the three biggest life decisions have been where I live, what I do, and who I marry.

I had found the right spouse, changed where I lived, and then changed what I did day-to-day. Each change resulted in massive gains for what I wanted in my life. Over time, all of the pieces came together because I wanted change and then made it happen. 

Over the last decade we've built a life and family together that we couldn't even have imagined in 2014.

Brittany and I often reflect back and ask ourselves what our life would be like if we hadn't made the changes we did and where we would be now. 

Every time we say: I'm glad we went for it.

That's how we know we are on the right track. 

I'm still pushing myself today: take the leap. 

-jon