I started fantasizing about moving to New York when I visited the city at the age of 16. I fell in love with the buzz, the jagged skyline, and the passion that seemed to fill every New Yorker I met.
In my teenage fantasies, I daydreamed about walking through Central Park, frequenting Broadway shows, and eating bagels whenever I wanted. So, when I was accepted into a publishing graduate program at New York University at the age of 22, I was overwhelmed with a sense of exhilaration. It felt like everything I wanted for my career was falling into place.
When it was finally time to make my move from Atlanta to New York in 2017, I did everything I could to prepare. I painstakingly packed cardboard boxes to the brim with books and keepsakes, and I arranged for an Ikea bed to be delivered to my new StuyTown apartment on the exact day I arrived. I convinced my family to fly with me the two hours to the Big Apple so they could help me drag about five suitcases full of my entire world to my new home.
I couldn't wait to start my new life. Still, when I walked into my apartment for the first time, giddily greeting my roommate — a friend from college who was also attending NYU — and taking in our new home, there was a quiet, anxious voice that started in a whisper but had grown louder now that I was settling in: What if I wasn't cut out for New York? Could I afford life in New York City? How would I get around without a car? What if I didn't make any friends? Could I even get a job after school? What if I couldn't figure out the subway?
To my 22-year-old self's relief, I discovered I was cut out for New York. I found I didn't miss driving at all as I wandered through NYC, learned not to buy a haircut from a stranger on the street, and made friends. After I graduated from NYU, I became a reporter at Business Insider. I even met my husband on a wintry night in Manhattan, and we're now the proud parents of our 3-year-old rescue dog, Rory. After more than eight years, New York is my home.
I've built a life that is, in some ways, exactly like the one I had dreamed of — but it hasn't always been easy. In fact, that first year in New York was particularly challenging. I locked myself out of my apartment more times than I care to admit, held back tears the first time my paper grocery bag ripped open on the sidewalk, and smiled stiffly through awkward social interactions until I found friends I could really be myself around.
Relocating is daunting, no matter how much you want it.
In 2024, Business Insider connected with three people about to take the same leap of faith I did all those years ago. Althea McBride, Hayley Perry-Sanchez, and Erin Grindstaff were all set to relocate for several reasons: to pursue the dream of homeownership, achieve financial stability, or support their partners' careers. They offered Business Insider a front-row seat to their transition, and we followed them over the course of 12 months to detail the highs and lows of relocating in a new series called "Reinventing home."
Our monthly conversations with each of them highlighted that moving can be as stressful and unsettling as it is fulfilling and exciting. It's part of the reason people are staying put.
James Gregory, a history professor at the University of Washington, told Business Insider in 2024 that people are moving less often. With increased job opportunities closer to home and the rise of remote work, people no longer have to relocate to find their American dream.
Still, an August Business Insider survey showed that although people are moving less, it's still on people's minds, primarily with the hope of reaping financial benefits. We asked readers to share whether they had moved or considered moving within the past year, and if they had, why moving appealed to them. Over 1,500 people, including young professionals, busy parents, and retirees, participated in the online survey.
While some respondents had recently landed new jobs, others were unemployed or felt stuck in their careers. They hoped to move somewhere new to find better job opportunities, a lower cost of living, a more tight-knit community, or a place that could help them stretch their retirement savings as far as possible.
Regardless of their phase of life, moving seemed to be the key to unlocking the promise of prosperity for respondents in the survey. While relocating can be a dream come true for many, our conversations with McBride, Perry-Sanchez, and Grindstaff made clear that the reality of a move is often more complex than the daydream.
At times over the year, the three raved about the financial freedom their new home gave them or happily shared details about their new favorite spot in town. Other times, they felt lost as they tried to find their footing in a place that didn't quite fit them yet.
Their stories, which you can read below, offer a glimpse at what it truly takes to reinvent home.
