I've lived in Boston almost my entire life. I was born in the city, went to public school in my hometown and then studied at Tufts University in Medford/Somerville, only 15 miles from home (perfectly in line with data from the NYTimes).

I'd entertained the thought of moving away to live somewhere new, but it's never been a major priority. During college I struggled with this feeling of loving my home and my city, but also wondering if maybe I was missing out by not being somewhere new. Objectively Boston is a great place, a city where thousands of people come to study, many of whom stay after graduating. But there was always a question hanging in the air - is it really this great or is it just because it's what I know?

I now have the opportunity to answer that question! This summer my fiancée was recruited for a role out in the Bay Area. We hadn't been looking to move - in fact we'd just signed a new apartment lease and May and I'd started an exciting new job at SimpliSafe. But when an opportunity like this knocks on your door and offers to answer a question that's been eating at you for 7 years, you can't say no. Life is full of branching paths, some larger than others, where clear paths diverge and lead to new emerging opportunities that wouldn't have been available before. This is definitely one of them.

A week in I'm still getting used to all of the changes, particularly the weather. Where is the humidity and why is it so pleasant all the time? I keep waiting for the weather gods to play a trick and dump five days of rain on us, but I'm starting to believe the hype. The job market here is ridiculous compared to Boston (I'm planning to write more about this soon) as is the strange sprawl between San Jose and San Francisco. The geography is breathtaking and beautiful landscapes of so many types are within a few hours drive. I can't want to get a bit more settled and have an entire new part of the country to explore and call home.