The following is an amended version of what I emailed to my close friends and associates over the weekend:
In short: I have really big news.
Many of you know this already, but how big? Life uprooting big.
In just a few short weeks I will be living and working in San Francisco, California -- realizing a goal that I’ve had since I was 10 years old. (I'm not joking, I fell in love the second I set foot in that city).
I gave my notice at my current employer on Friday, and it was one of the most difficult things I have ever had to do. Even though my industry in Milwaukee faces COUNTLESS challenges (don't forget to vote tomorrow!), it truly has been an incredible experience working there. It's only been slightly over three years, but I feel like I've learned about twice that. My last day will be Thursday, March 3.
I begin my new job, setting marketing and communications strategy and implementation for a company a new industry for me on March 14. I will post more about my new job and employer when I am settled and started, but I'm very excited to work in a very creative industry, but with still a technical edge.
I will fly out at 8 PM on March 10 to make my triumphant return to the West Coast.
It was not an easy decision for me to make. Yes, I have been increasingly disgruntled with the political climate here, and that was, admittedly, the catalyst for me to investigate living elsewhere. However, once I began looking, I found that the opportunity for me to grow personally and professionally is really elsewhere at this time in my life.
Will I miss Wisconsin? HELL YES.
What I will I miss about Milwaukee?
Many of you know this already, but how big? Life uprooting big.
In just a few short weeks I will be living and working in San Francisco, California -- realizing a goal that I’ve had since I was 10 years old. (I'm not joking, I fell in love the second I set foot in that city).
I gave my notice at my current employer on Friday, and it was one of the most difficult things I have ever had to do. Even though my industry in Milwaukee faces COUNTLESS challenges (don't forget to vote tomorrow!), it truly has been an incredible experience working there. It's only been slightly over three years, but I feel like I've learned about twice that. My last day will be Thursday, March 3.
I begin my new job, setting marketing and communications strategy and implementation for a company a new industry for me on March 14. I will post more about my new job and employer when I am settled and started, but I'm very excited to work in a very creative industry, but with still a technical edge.
I will fly out at 8 PM on March 10 to make my triumphant return to the West Coast.
It was not an easy decision for me to make. Yes, I have been increasingly disgruntled with the political climate here, and that was, admittedly, the catalyst for me to investigate living elsewhere. However, once I began looking, I found that the opportunity for me to grow personally and professionally is really elsewhere at this time in my life.
Will I miss Wisconsin? HELL YES.
What I will I miss about Milwaukee?
- THE PEOPLE!!! Some of my best friends are here. I’ve spent my entire adult life here and it’s going to be really hard to leave amazing people behind.
- Summer.
- Things just being super awesome and cool, and not knowing or trying to be that way.
- A ton of things, which I will write about, in due time, when I don't have an agenda 3,040,108 items long.
- My family (in Portland and Seattle) will be much, much closer.
- Outside of Milwaukee, my highest concentration of close friends is located in SF (including some ex-Milwaukeeans).
- I’ve mentally exhausted myself in the past few years trying to defend even minimally progressive programs in Milwaukee, I need a break and also to test and see how these programs work in practice.
- With my change to an active lifestyle over the past 18 months, I’ve had an increasingly difficult time dealing with winter here. I need to try at least one in a moderate climate again.
- The type of workplace I’m looking for is commonplace. Flexible hours, telecommute options, casual dress, Macs (!!), social media engagement, collaborative / “flat” office structure, encouragement of creativity. I realize this stuff isn’t for everybody, but for me, it will contribute to my overall happiness and ability to succeed.
- I’ll be spending the next few short weeks packing like a madwoman and purging my apartment of 13 years of Wisconsin collectibles. Watch my social media feeds for information on my EVERYTHING MUST GO FURNITURE BLITZ. If you need shelves, storage units, kitchen islands, a bed, dresser, dining room set, etc. let me know!
- Throwing going away bashes on February 25 (late night) and March 4 (happy hour). I also will be celebrating one of my final nights here at the Mucca Pazza concert on March 8.
- As long as Wisconsin people keep getting married and having babies, I can’t yank myself out of their lives. I’ll be back the weekend of April 15 for a wedding (negotiated that into my job offer) and I’m sure for others down the line.
- You can virtually track me, as I will be blogging at my new blog, Brew to Bay, so you can track me there or on Twitter. I'll probably still update here occasionally as well.
Recommendations are welcome for San Francisco, in regards to excellent people to know or places to go.
I owe a post on my all my updates as well, but I think we can safely say I've accomplished #1 of my 31 by 32 list!
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