“Wow! You’re really…”

“Crazy?” I thought in my head. Young and naive? Maybe she’d be nice and call me “free-spirited.”

I smiled politely, beckoning her to finish her thought.

“…um, you’re really…brave, I guess,” she concluded sheepishly.

Brave???

That was not the word I was expecting. I had done a lot of things in life, but this was not one I classified as an act of bravery. Or was it?

I turned to me seat-mate, smiled and told her thank you.

Just then, that familiar “ding” sounded and we heard the pilot clear his throat into the intercom. “Hello ladies and gentlemen. We are now making our final descent into Dallas-Fort Worth airport. The local time is 2:06pm and the current temperature is 86 degrees. I’d like to thank you for flying with American Airlines today. We hope you’ll enjoy your time in Dallas or wherever your final destination takes you.”

“Wherever your final destination takes you.” I had heard pilots say that hundreds of times before but it was particularly fitting at that moment.

As I looked out the window, watching the trees get bigger and the clouds get smaller as we glided closer and closer to the runway, I could feel the excitement well up inside of me.

No, Dallas was definitely not going to be my “final destination” but it would be another chapter in my story.

After 6 years of living in Washington, DC — the very place were I broadened my horizons and grew from a midwestern teenager to a city-dwelling adult — I was moving to Dallas.

And apparently, this was an extreme act of bravery…or at least it was to the lady I had been sitting next to on the plane for the last 2 hours.

After making small talk and learning that I was moving, she asked if I had any family in Dallas.

“No, all my family is still mostly in the midwest,” I responded.

“Well do you at least have any friends in Dallas?” she pressed, looking at me strangely.

“No,” I laughed. “All my friends are still mostly on the East Coast.”

“So you’re moving her all by yourself?” she questioned, incredulously.

“Well…yeah,” I answered, surprised by her surprise. “I was just ready for a change. I felt like it was time to do something new.”

If there’s one thing I’ve never been afraid to do, it’s to make a move. Whether it’s making a figurative move by changing something in my life or a literal move by changing which state I live in, I strongly believe in taking chances that allow you to grow.

Yet I know this isn’t the case for everyone. Lately I’ve talked to a lot of women who hate their current city but are paralyzed by the fear of moving. They know where they currently live is no longer working for them but they can’t bring themselves to get up and just go!

If you are considering moving to a new city but fear is the only thing holding you back, well today is your day! Here’s 5 signs to confirm that you’re ready to make the big move:

Sign #1: The environment isn’t stimulating

Before I moved to Dallas from DC, I first moved from the suburbs of Detroit to DC. I was 17 at the time and felt totally bored and uninspired by my surroundings. There were few things to do that interested me and honestly, I felt really stifled. If your city leaves you feeling “dull” and closed off from things that would challenge you to grow, that’s a big sign that you’re ready to move.

Sign #2: You can’t find “your people”

Everyone needs a community of people they can really connect with. In fact, having people around you that both connect with and challenge you is vital to your personal growth.

This was another reason I was inspired to make my first move from Detroit to DC. At that stage of my life, I was in a place of rapid inner growth and needed peers to bounce ideas off of and “think big” with. Unfortunately, most of the people around me weren’t like that. Going to parties and talking about the latest Rick Ross song was pretty much it amongst my peers back then. If you are looking for “your tribe” but you can’t find them where you live, this is another big sign that you’re ready to move.

Sign #3: The opportunities you want are not available

This was the #1 reason I moved from Detroit to DC. The opportunities I needed to chase my dreams simply weren’t in Detroit at the time. If you have a dream you want to pursue — starting business, founding a non-profit, doing something great in medicine, or even becoming an actress — but the resources you need to make that happen aren’t available to you where you are, that’s a huge sign that moving is a good idea for you. Your dreams are worth it.

Sign #4: You’ve outgrown your experiences there

This was one of the reasons I made my most recent move from DC to Dallas. As the years go on, we enter different “seasons” of our lives. While your current location may have served you well for a particular season, as you grow and the needs in your life change, you might find that your are craving different experiences.

If your city, state, or even country just isn’t “doing it” for you anymore, that’s okay — there’s nothing wrong with you. It’s simply a sign that there’s another place out there that will resonate with you more deeply in the current stage of life you’re in.

Sign #5: You want something new

To me, this is the biggest sign and reason that you should make a move. Wanting something new was ultimately the reason I moved from Detroit to DC, then from DC to Dallas. If you want something new in your life, then its your responsibility to go get it. You don’t need anyone’s “permission” to move, nor do you need any one’s approval that your desire for something new is “valid.” Simply wanting something new is reason enough to move somewhere different. Make the move!

Talk to Me:

Have you been thinking about a move? What’s holding you back?

Photo Credit: Luis Hernandez – D2k6.es

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