After two years of living in New York City, I realized that, although I loved life in the Big Apple, I wasn’t fond of the exorbitant cost of living.
My days in the city were busy — think last-minute Broadway tickets, venturing out to Brooklyn for my photojournalism class, and bottomless brunches that turned into all-day affairs. Still, I found that leaving my apartment was costly, and I knew I needed a change.
So, moving to Charlotte, North Carolina, seemed like a practical decision. My dad was an hour and a half away, the culture felt less cutthroat, and the cost of rent didn’t make me cringe.
At first, the change was refreshing. I traded crowded subway cars for tree-lined streets and pricey rooftop bars for local breweries.
I even went from paying $4,600 a month for a studio apartment in NYC to $2,489 for an updated one-bedroom apartment with tons of amenities.
However, as I began settling into life in Charlotte, the slower pace that I craved began to feel isolating.
I underestimated how challenging it would be to move to a new city with a remote job
On paper, my job sounds exciting — telling people I’m a travel writer is an instant conversation starter. But behind the trips, Instagram-worthy pictures, and articles, most of my work happens alone.
Working for a small media company means I don’t have coworkers, either. Aside from one weekly meeting with my boss, my days are quiet until I leave for my next work trip.
Luckily, when I’m traveling on assignment, I’m rarely alone. From striking up conversations with crew members to befriending fellow travelers, I’m constantly meeting new people from all walks of life.
Those interactions are among the most rewarding parts of my job, but they only happen a few days each month.
Plus, I often leave these trips feeling drained, which makes it hard to put myself out there and build new friendships when I’m home in Charlotte.
Back in New York, I already had established relationships, which meant I didn’t feel like I was “starting over” whenever I returned from a trip.
And although I’ve tried finding a community in Charlotte through networking events, friend-of-a-friend invitations, and coffee meet-ups, I realized that building genuine connections postgrad is a slow and painful process — especially when you don’t have any built-in social circles from work.
Life in Charlotte often feels predictable
Although there’s plenty to do in Charlotte, many of the events have started to feel familiar and repetitive, rather than exciting and new — especially after living in the city for over three years.
At times, I appreciate the quieter lifestyle. However, after a while, the coffee shops, breweries, and parks all seem to blur together.
Although I was usually sitting at the same few bars in New York, I never knew what characters would stroll by outside, or what subway performers I’d see in transit.
In Charlotte, though, even small errands and walks with my dog feel mundane. The predictability of walking the same streets, seeing the same faces, and sitting in the same traffic on I-77 makes Charlotte feel a lot smaller than it is — and, at times, isolating.
Despite the drawbacks, however, I have no plans to leave North Carolina
Building a life in North Carolina has taken longer than expected, and some days, the seemingly endless tapping of my lone keyboard amid the hum of my air purifier is deafening.
However, I don’t regret my decision to move here.
My partner and I can now afford a lifestyle that seemed out of reach in New York. We have space to entertain, and the lower cost of living means we can splurge on our hobbies, including our ever-growing Lego collection, traveling, or concert tickets.
And although I haven’t quite solved the loneliness part just yet, I’m trying to show up more in my day-to-day life, from saying “yes” to plans to becoming a regular at local restaurants.
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