Thought I Found My Perfect Home in California: Why I Left It Behind

When I moved to San Diego in 2021, I thought it was my perfect home.

I’d spent months living in different US cities — none of which were quite the right fit — before moving to California.

I absolutely loved taking runs on the city’s beaches and hunting for the best tacos in different neighborhoods on weekends. I decorated the brick walls of my San Diego apartment with work from local artists and bought cute furniture for my patio.

It felt like somewhere I could stay forever. After five years, though, I gave up my apartment, furniture, and car, and left the city.

Despite the highs and lows, I think I made the right choice.

A career pivot made me rethink my plans

Julia Atkinson

For most of my time in San Diego, I worked a desk job and commuted to La Jolla, about 12 miles away, multiple days a week. After nearly three years, though, I left the role to pursue my dream of writing about travel.

At this point, I had no plans to move: I figured I’d keep my San Diego apartment as a home base, and take short-term, more local trips to explore the rest of California.

For six months, this went well. I loved exploring national parks and beaches nearby and writing about my experiences. However, it didn’t take long for me to start thinking bigger.

Whenever I was back home and writing at my desk, I’d look out my window and imagine traveling to completely new places full-time. I pictured myself on expeditions in the desert, hiking in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, and standing in the shadow of Uzbekistan’s Kalon Minaret.

Although traveling long-term was fun to dream about, I initially didn’t know if it would be a financially smart choice. As my Excel spreadsheet on dream travel destinations ballooned, though, I started thinking through the logistics of leaving San Diego.

After all, if I left my home base, I could sell most of my belongings and my car, and put the money toward travel.

Plus, I wouldn’t have to pay rent in an expensive city like San Diego — something that didn’t make much sense when I wanted to write about travel. I decided to make the leap and leave the United States indefinitely.

The hardest part of moving was leaving my friends and an apartment I loved. However, I reminded myself that my friends were just a call or a visit away, and I could always find a new apartment if I decided to settle down again.

Living on the road hasn’t always been easy

I headed first to Voss, Norway, to volunteer for a month in the Norwegian mountains. There, I wrote, explored nature, and saved money on rent since the volunteer gig included free housing.

After that, I headed to Latvia and then traveled through Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan. After a few weeks of traveling in Central Asia, I settled in Kazakhstan’s largest city, Almaty, for a month to write up notes and develop story ideas.

I’ve learned that working while traveling isn’t the same as vacationing. Sometimes, I have to say no to invitations from other travelers because I have work. I’m no stranger to working a 9-to-5, but I underestimated how tough it would be to stay inside writing when I was in a new-to-me place with so much to see.

At hostels, I sometimes listen with envy as backpackers talk about impending border crossings and multi-day hikes while I’m busy writing up a story. I’ve discovered that I have to travel much more slowly than I expected in order to balance work with new experiences.

Sometimes I get lonely, but I work hard to make friends on the road

Julia Atkinson

Another big adjustment has been living so far from the support system I built in the US. I’ve been afraid of getting lonely, so I’ve been working hard to make new friends through meet-up apps and Facebook groups.

I went on a hike with a group of women I met on Facebook. In Kyrgyzstan, a young local woman and her mother replied to a message I’d posted online, and we met up for tea and a walk around their favorite park.

One of my favorite experiences so far was sharing dinner at a hilltop restaurant with two solo travelers I’d met on a free walking tour the day before.

Despite the challenges of living on the road — and the things I really miss about California, like the gorgeous beaches and the community I built there — my life has improved in many ways since I left San Diego nearly five months ago.

Now, I’m always finding new nature, museums, and food that inspire my writing. And I love the freedom to pack up and go anywhere that strikes my fancy.

I don’t know if I want to travel forever, but I’m so glad that I took the risk and tried something new. Besides, San Diego will still be there if I ever want to move back.