Moving is one of the most powerful decisions a person can make. Especially early in life moving to a new city not only has the power to help you grow and redefine yourself, but it can almost immediately make you more valuable.
There is a great difference in the value of labor between cities and as a result, there is a great difference in the opportunities you have early in your career depending on where you live. But for most people, moving is something that has to have a reason greater than work.
Simply deciding at 18 that you are going to move and start looking for a job somewhere new will be met with skepticism from your parents and friends. But tell them you are moving across the country for college and you will be celebrated.
The movement of people from rural and less prosperous cities to growing and economically flourishing areas is incredibly important for the health of a nation. Yet, most people will only make moves once or twice in their lives (for college and after college).
We live in a bizarre world where college is the one social tradition that allows us to redefine ourselves (with a location, a friend network, and a system of values). But this ability to redefine ourselves is always available. We can choose where we live, what we believe, and who we associate with.
You don’t need college to redefine yourself, you simply have to forgo the need for social status and embrace the weirdo status that comes with relocating regularly.
Leave a Reply