Recently I’ve been asked this question a lot…Why did I leave? What am I doing in London?

A few reasons…

1. I missed London. I missed everything about it. The energy, atmosphere of friends and culture. Anyone who’s ever lived in London, knows what I am mean.

2. I missed Europe. The ability to jump on a plane and take a 3 hour flight to Barcelona or a 1 hour flight to Switzerland, for only $100 (round trip). Walking into a room full of people and hearing 35 different accents and languages. I also miss the European mindset and culture.

3. I wasn’t ‘fulfilled’. It’s hard for me to say that because I can’t tell you one particular reason as to ‘why’ I wasn’t fulfilled. I can tell you that I was happy being home with my family and friends, and I was happy at work. But I didn’t feel like completely happy. I felt like I wanted more.

4. Wasn’t happy with my career. I’ve always done what I am ‘supposed to do’. Get a degree (I’ve got two) and a job. Work hard, save money… blah. I realized one day, although I held a good position/job, I didn’t really like what I was doing. I found myself thinking, ‘whats the point?’. I wasn’t  happy. I wanted more (not so much in terms of money, but more so the value of my job).

5. The independence. Yes, I could have moved to San Fran or maybe Denver and spent A LOT less money and I would have probably had a job by now! But, I could always go back to the US and get a job in 50 different states, if I wanted to.

image2 (I apologize for the iPhone images, my camera recently broke)

As I sit here live…from an empty pub in Angel, London (yes, I am drinking a beer and having some peanuts). As I’ve sat here and realized…. It has been three weeks since I left home. Since I’ve left my job, my car, my bed, my friends, family, and my comfort zone.

In the past three weeks, I turned 26 years old (my golden birthday), I celebrated my birthday in another country with a random stranger and close friend ( details in my next blog post). I’ve moved flat (UK lingo for apartment) three times. I’ve gone on 6+ interviews, and I’ve gotten 2 (shitty) offers. I’ve learned to live off an extremely tight budget and appreciate the random kind gestures of random strangers.

And If I am completely honest, there has not been one part of me that has asked myself, ‘Jen, why did you leave?’

As cliché as it sounds. Do what makes you happy. Now, don’t go quitting your jobs and run off to Europe (haha), but set up a plan. Give yourself deadlines, realistic goals and be true to yourself. Above everything, be honest with yourself. Find your passion.

I also think that if you don’t know what your passion is, it’s okay. I think that the best part is that you know what you DON’T want. The most important thing is that you learn and figure it out (it’s the journey, not the destination). In my case, I was tired of doing what I was ‘supposed to do’ and I decided to do what I wanted and step out of my comfort zone.

And as a good friend of mine said before I left, “Jen, I admire the fact that you aren’t willing to take the ‘what if’ to the grave.”