Moving out of Miami after 5 Years... My Thoughts

Miami has been a huge part of my life for a long time. My Uncle and cousins have lived in Miami since 2007 and I visited frequently. I attended the University of Miami from 2017 - 2021 and have now worked in Miami from 2021 until now.

Miami has definitely changed who I am as a person. When I first came here I was extremely overwhelmed. I used to never care about materialistic thing at all. I would always buy my clothes at TJ Maxx or Marshalls. But at UM, it seemed like it mattered what clothes you wore, what town you were from, who your parents were, how big your house in East Hampton was, etc.. 

Miami certainly seems to have a culture like that, especially among girls who really care about that type of stuff. But I eventually found my friends who were genuine, and a lot like me.

Miami has a ton to offer. Beaches, nightlife, golf, art, food, nature. I definitely took living here for granted. You could do something different every weekend and never get bored. It is relatively easy to make friends here, as most people in Miami are there to have fun.

I had the most amazing college experience. Great memories with friends, parties, clubs, trips to key west, exploring the everglades, going in boats, chilling on the beach during any month of the year. UM kids are definitely spoiled. But after college, living in Miami is much different. 

I have come to realize that Miami is great place to live if you already have money and an established career. The apartments and homes in the suburbs are beautiful and relative to other parts of the country, good value for what you get. But being a young professional, in my experience it has seemed difficult to really grow in my career here. The entry level opportunities are quite limited, and I was lucky to get a decent job. Most big banks dont do analyst programs here and to land a role in a boutique in Miami, you have to be well connected.

My real personality doesnt mesh. Miami is a very in-your-face type of city. People like to show off what they have and spend money like its nothing. I am a very lowkey laid back person. I dont care what other people think of me and value quality time with close friends more than anything. 

I have now been given the opportunity to work for a huge bank in a position Ive always wanted for twice the pay Im making now, however i need to move to San Francisco. and it is extremely overwhelming. Part of me has been over living in Miami for a long time and have been ready for a big change. Another part of me is going to miss this city and the relationships ive made here. Miami is usually a city people move to rather than move away from, and it sucks to think that Im going to leave the beautiful beaches and clubs and my brand-new apartment for a city that is notorious for having shit on the ground. 

But like I said, Miami is great if you've already made it, but for me, in finance its been hard to grow. Im anxious about the change but its necessary that I get the real banking training and exposure that I need so i can become to professional that im striving to become. Hopefully in the future ill make my way back to Florida with more money in the bank. 

For those who are in SF right now, I hope some of you can welcome me into your friend groups and help me get adjusted. Its crazy how a career opportunity can change everything in our lives. Ill make a "living in SF" update post in a few months and will know by then if I made a huge mistake or not. Hopefully not. 

 
Most Helpful

Good post, very introspective. I enjoy reading your posts as I think we are similar. Having moved halfway across the country a few years ago from the East Coast to where I'm at now I can give a little advice. 

The feelings you are feeling are normal and it will definitely be bittersweet. You have the right mindset of keeping the eye on the prize i.e. your career. You are young and not tied down. Now is the time to be flexible and make the move before you can't or are not willing to. 

For me personally I wanted to move somewhere new while I was still young. This was important to me to grow as a person. I didn't want to be that kid that is born and raised and lives in the same area forever. I'm not going to lie and say it's easy, but make an honest effort to get out and you'll establish yourself quickly. 

I suggest giving it a full six months before you post and form an opinion of your new home. Personally, moving to a new city and not knowing anyone was a rollercoaster ride introspectively. The first few months will be the hardest, but once you get in the rhythm of your new job and start making friends things will get better. I remember someone telling me that it would take at least 3 years before you really feel established in a new place. Coming up now on two years in my new city and they are right. Things take time, don't rush or be hard on yourself.

My opinion is every city has pros and cons. As long as it is big enough and diverse (which SF is) you should be able to meet people you click with and find things you enjoy doing. Now is the time to reinvent yourself and pick up those hobbies you always wanted to do. Besides missing family/friends I don't regret my move. In fact, I will probably be open to moving again to a new city for the right opportunity down the road. There is something exciting about starting "fresh". 

 

Spoiler alert - most people in SF come from well-off families as well.. that bootstrapped VC who built a company from ground up? Yeah, his parents bankrolled that

but there are a lot more opportunities there, so good luck 

 

You're gonna hate SF if you ever have to walk outside man, just a heads up. 💩💉🛣️

"The obedient always think of themselves as virtuous rather than cowardly" - Robert A. Wilson | "If you don't have any enemies in life you have never stood up for anything" - Winston Churchill | "It's a testament to the sheer belligerence of the profession that people would rather argue about the 'risk-adjusted returns' of using inferior tooth cleaning methods." - kellycriterion
 

A low effort, terribly informed post. Might as well be my boomer uncle from buttfuck Nebraska. Ignore this. 

OP, I've posted in your other threads re: SF. I guess my final advice would be in regards to your mindset. Think of this as an opportunity to write a new chapter - California and the West Coast have so much beauty and opportunity to offer. Good luck!!

 
pp_swag

A low effort, terribly informed post. Might as well be my boomer uncle from buttfuck Nebraska. Ignore this. 

OP, I've posted in your other threads re: SF. I guess my final advice would be in regards to your mindset. Think of this as an opportunity to write a new chapter - California and the West Coast have so much beauty and opportunity to offer. Good luck!!

And taxes! Beautiful, glorious taxes! Me likes me homeless well fed and with clean needles me does yes very much. 

"The obedient always think of themselves as virtuous rather than cowardly" - Robert A. Wilson | "If you don't have any enemies in life you have never stood up for anything" - Winston Churchill | "It's a testament to the sheer belligerence of the profession that people would rather argue about the 'risk-adjusted returns' of using inferior tooth cleaning methods." - kellycriterion
 

Did he break up with the GF? No way a relationship between SF and Miami could last…

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

I’ve moved many times in between cities all over the US and the world. I hate moving.

I would recommend getting to SF at least a month before your start date if possible and establishing a solid routine. Get to know where to pick up your groceries and join a gym and start a gym routine. I’m a big fan of luxury buildings as well as you can always get a quick workout in your building if you’re short on time like a quick 20min treadmill. I’m not sure if you can find a luxury bldg in SF, but maybe with roommates it is affordable.

Don’t fret about meeting people. You’ll meet people over time. I’d also hit up Tinder and you can meet new chicks right when you arrive. 

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

I definitely feel like it's about to be. Had a phone call last night with her for an hour about how I never intended to hurt you and all that. I thought I might've saved it, but today she's sending me texts like "I will never forgive you," "you've ruined everything forever" etc... So yeah, it was a fuck up and prob won't end well 

 

Saw your other posts and you seem to be going through a lot recently. I'm probably a year younger so I can relate to what you're going through right now. I've lived my whole life in Philadelphia and will be moving to NYC. Of course, this isn't that big of a move but finance opportunities are lacking in Philly and for growth/personal development  I need to go. Leaving will be somewhat difficult as everyone I know lives here. However, many of those people have no plans of ever leaving this city, and as someone said above, I don't want to be the guy that lives in the same place his whole life. The thing is I can always come to Philly but I won't always have the chance to leave and take advantage of a great opportunity at a young age.

 

Thanks for this post. If you have questions on SF feel free to PM me, I lived there for 2 years. 

If I had one piece of advice it would be to try and live in Fort Mason. I lived there my second year and it was awesome. Right next to the park and beautiful view, free parking (having a car in SF is SO expensive otherwise but significantly enhanced my time there), close to the Marina, not far from FIDI. 

 

Hey, embrace the change, welcome the change of air with all that it comes. It will help grow as a person and professional, so what's to loose? You can always comeback to MIA with additional experiences and value add to an employer or make it on your own.

Good luck, be open and friendly, polite, genuine, helpful and try to enjoy the new life, also the time you have on your own to explore the city, it's people etc. Great chance to turn chapter. Give it a good try and make the best of it. No pre-opinions and conceptions, just plain observation and a drop of optimism.

And of course, keep your shoes outside your home as Japanese people wisely do.

Keep us posted.

 

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