So right now I’m vacationing with my family in the Florida Keys. The following week I fly to New York City to go to WeWork Summer Camp and visit Keith and the Girl. I then fly directly to Texas for work meetings and get this, on August 31 I move to San Diego.
That’s right. I’m giving up the cold blanket of fog for the warm sunshine of America’s Finest City. Starting September 1, all things going as planned, I’ll be moved into my new home and starting work a couple of days later.
If you feel taken aback by this news rest assured you’re not alone. Three weeks ago I’d never have even thought twice about moving to San Diego. I’d never even been to San Diego! Then, seemingly out of nowhere, an incredible job opportunity opened up. I jokingly responded something like, “Oh if only I lived in San Diego!” and then boom, two weeks later I’m in San Diego on interview six or eleven (depending on how we’re counting).
Then, just a few days later, and as the best birthday gift I’ve received in some time, I got the call. They wanted me to join their team and gave me an offer I simply couldn’t refuse.
This will be no easy change but sometimes dramatic and unexpected change is what you need to strike inspiration and drive you to new and exciting personal and professional heights. Saying goodbye to my friends will be difficult and closing out my office at WeWork was already a sad event. But this isn’t the end of my life in San Francisco.
I’ll be back to visit Ryan and my friends as often as I can. I’m hoping this will spark new passion into my photography and blog. It will definitely cut down on my travel but it’s a sacrifice worth making right now. Taking this opportunity by the horns and riding it south will no doubt open me up to amazing new adventures, experiences and friends. Not to mention new wine regions to play around in!
Right now I only know six people in San Diego, according to my Facebook Graph Search. Here’s hoping that by this time next year that number will at least compete a little bit with my incredible number of friends in San Francisco, which currently sits at over 100! Of course it’s the quality of friends that matters most, but it sure doesn’t hurt to have variety!
If you live in San Diego or just have tips or stories about the area please let me know in the comments. I’ve got a ton of stuff to take care of in the coming weeks like packing up my things, moving down there, buying a car, starting my job, getting more “big boy business dress” clothes (hello Bonobos!) and who knows what else.
Depending on how things go, I might even go back to Ignite and do a new talk titled, “Serendipity 2.0!” It was serendipity that got me to California in the first place, whose to say it isn’t behind this odyssey too?
justex07 good luck with the move and the new job! i’m excited for you!
justex07 Wow! Congrats!
justex07 yay congrats Justin!
justex07 congrats!
justex07 Congrats on the new job! San Diego is fabulous!
jonk Thanks! I’m excited too. 😀
chips99 thanks, it was a surprise but I’m happy for the opportunity!
silversly80 thanks! It’s all happening at once but as soon as I’m all settled in I think things will get back to normal.
msilverman gracias! Maybe a #ComicCon visit is in your future? D:
seismic007 good to hear! I’ve only been there the one time so this move is going to be a whole lot of “new” for me.
justex07 For sure! Funny thing was davegreenbaum and I were talking about needing to do that soon, looks so much fun!
justex07 meet my pal EA TheSpicyRD he’s moving to San Diego
msilverman davegreenbaum totally! I’m not a huge comic book guy but it’s so much more than that really. I think motoridersd goes…
justex07 It’s really a Geek convention: sci-fi, fantasy and basically anything that isn’t normal. Hot guys in skin tight fabric is win/win
davegreenbaum justex07 These days its a generic geek/nerd/sci-fi convention.
chowandchatter TheSpicyRD thanks for the introduction! Can’t wait to get down to SD and see what all it has to offer 🙂
msilverman davegreenbaum a lot of the panels I’ve heard about are about shows/movies that I love so that’s awesome!
justex07 TheSpicyRD I hear great things plan to visit in dec 😉 all the best for the move
justex07 and hot men in costumes. Just saying.
davegreenbaum haha so true. Aren’t tickets nearly (but not really) as hard to get as #WWDC passes?
justex07 Yup. One can dream.
chowandchatter TheSpicyRD I was there for 24 hours and loved what I saw/drank/tasted!
What is this job?
justex07 ohhh congrats Justin!! How do you feel?
oskrNYC excited, anxious, nervous, happy… all the emotions haha
justex07 So happy for you!
justex07 congrats and good luck! What an adventure 🙂
justex07 Cheers and (almost) welcome to San Diego! Nice to meet on Twitter thx to the fabulous chowandchatter 🙂
justex07 msilverman davegreenbaum This year was my second! I love it for the art mostly, but there is lots to do
justex07 yay! Congrats!! We will have to go to Valle de Guadalupe. Make sure you have your Passport Card at the ready
motoridersd pooh can’t wait! Believe it or not I’ve been all over the Middle East and Europe but never Mexico haha.
motoridersd how hard was it to get a ticket? msilverman davegreenbaum
TheSpicyRD chowandchatter thanks!
TheDutchessD thanks! I got the offer ON my birthday too so talk about poetic haha. Can’t wait!
BobbyRemis awe thanks! Visit me! We’ll gawk at the beach 😛
justex07 Congrats! San Diego is beautiful.
jenleereeves thanks so much! It’s going to be like 2005 all over again for me. Looking forward to it!
justex07 Change is an awesome thing. I speak from experience. 😉
jeremyelson it’s for a financial institution doing a lot of what I do now but focusing on their brand and advisors instead of various products/organizations as I do now.
TheSpicyRD justex07 aww thanks EA :- ) your my go to San Diego expert much appreciated
jenleereeves I seem to do a big change every 3 years. It’s like clockwork.
justex07 you’ll do great. I know it! And the movie was super campy and fun. :p
oskrNYC sadly the new job is going to put a stop on all my travels, including my planned trip to the Middle East in October 🙁
justex07 oh no!! Including the one to NYC??
oskrNYC oh no, that’s still on. My last trip to NYC for a while though 🙁
justex07 WATTTTT :-O
justex07 at least you’ll get to come here! But that’s sad. 🙁
ShayneOfficial yep! I’m having a going away party on the 30th, hope you can make it!
oskrNYC Glad I get to see you before I make the big move. Now you’ll have to visit me in San Diego hehe 😀
justex07 marked it down! Partying is such sweet sorrow D-:
ShayneOfficial hahahaha
justex07 errr…. Parting**^
ShayneOfficial nah, I like the partying version
justex07 I’m suffering from post partying sorrow right now D-:
ShayneOfficial I saw the photos, you had way too much fun! I have a feeling my party will lack the keg stands, unfortunately.
justex07 if you have markers we can recreate the “bottom entrance” tattoo on all the guests!
justex07 yes!! Now that’s 4 stops I need to make in the West Coast since I still want to visit SF. :p
oskrNYC We can do a weekend trip to SF together, dough!
oskrNYC We can do a weekend trip to SF together, dough!
oskrNYC duh and dough are different to everyone but Apple apparently. #damnyouautocorrect
justex07 hahaha sounds like a plan!!
justex07 motoridersd davegreenbaum I have heard it is pretty hard, you gotta jump fast and cross your fingers
justex07 luckily you will be 20 minutes away from Mexico soon 🙂 Baja is pretty cool
msilverman justex07 davegreenbaum you must also do it while in costume
msilverman justex07 davegreenbaum I’ve been able to get a pass every year. You can usually get at least one day easily, a 4 day is harder
msilverman justex07 davegreenbaum if you have a pass from the previous year, you get access to the presale, which is still crazy
msilverman justex07 davegreenbaum but just keep an eye out for sale date, and get your browser ready with the URL before sale time
motoridersd justex07 I wanna move to San Diego 🙂
San Diego is a great city
Good! I’m looking forward to moving there more and more!
motoridersd justex07 davegreenbaum Thanks for the tips! Do they announce the dates of the various panels in advance of the tickets?
msilverman justex07 davegreenbaum I don’t think they do, you find out about a month before the con
My nephew has lived in Oceanside for years (except when I college). He loves the SD area!
Seems like everyone loves or knows someone who loves San Diego!
justex07 Congrats! Nice post. Best of luck!
AdamBritten thanks! Heading to NYC in a couple of days for a week. Maybe we’ll bump into each other finally!
justex07 congrats on the new job! Who are you working for now?
justex07 Coming to NYC? Follow us for personalized tips on luxury hotels, fine dining haunts & designer shops:http://t.co/zkC5Lg6nRR
Blah. While I’m happy for you, I’m sad you’re going. :-/
stikboy718 yeah I know it’s going to be really rough moving away from San Francisco. You’ll come down and visit me right?!!!
justex07 Very nice.
BenjaminDorsey thanks! I’m excited, nervous, other things…
justex07 Other things, eh?
justex07 so cool..congrats! When’s your bday?
kreativekonnect just happened! Aug 2 😀
kreativekonnect well I guess it “just happened” 25 days ago haha. Feels like it was just last week!
justex07 well happy belated! Good luck on with your new gig!