5 Things to Consider Before Moving to Atlanta, GA in 2021

If you're like most people then at one point and time in your life you considered moving. For me it had been something I dreamt of since high school. I was born and raised in Norfolk, VA and so was my entire family. So we never left the state. Like ever. We didn't have a reason to, my parents aren't big travelers or vacationers so the furthest I had been out of my hometown was to a water park a couple hours away on occasion during summer breaks.

I told myself that I would travel more as adult and see the world. The first chance I got to leave VA was at 18 to Cleveland, OH and was beside myself at the chance to move somewhere new. Moving out at such a young age and so far was definitely a lesson, but it helped me know what to do and not to do the next time I needed a change of scenery,

So at 25 when I made the leap of faith to move to Atlanta. GA I had a little bit of experience on my side. Here are 5 things to consider before moving to Atlanta, GA.

1. Why are you coming here?

What is your why? The best piece of advice a former boss gave me was 'wherever you go is where you are'. I use that phrase to this day. What it means is that you can't outrun or move far enough from your internal problems.

Far too often I see people pack and move to a different area and think their problems are left in the past. The reality is that if you don't fix what's wrong internally your problems will rear their ugly heads and start the cycle all over again.

Discover why you want to move to Atlanta and be sure you're clear on exactly why you chose here and how it'll benefit you to move here. Knowing your why is the main key to success here.

2. How will you get here?

My move was thrown together and moved up by two weeks by no choice of my own. I felt ill-prepared to move 9 hours away from everything and everyone that I knew. But let me let you in on a little secret.. you will never fill 100% ready for anything. But I knew that if I didn't go for it in that moment that I would have a reason not to go.

Sometimes it's okay to throw caution into the wind and go after your dreams. If you don't you will always wonder what if. It's called a leap of faith for a reason. With the right preparation you will be just fine.

3.Where will you live?

Most of the time when you move to a new area landlords will require you to have a job here, and they will confirm with an offer letter. Also, you dont know that area. In my case, I didn't want to just sign a lease for any old apartment and call it a day.

What if it was in the ghetto? Had a high crime rate? I didn't want to be stuck for a year in a place that I hated.

So I decided to sublet a room. Which meant I could find a place to stay for cheap, in a good neighborhood/ area and on my own terms. I could stay there for as long or as little as I wanted.

Another option for me was to stay at an airbnb but most of them wanted the entire cost for my stay upfront, which I couldn't afford.

And the absolutely last option for me was to live in my car. Now hear me out, I know it's a little extreme but I moved here alone. It was just me, I didn't have to worry about another person to care for. I had a gym membership so I could shower there. Sometimes you have to be willing to eat a little humble pie folks.

4. What will you do for work?

When I came to Atlanta the only way I had to make money was Doordash. This was in the middle of the pandemic and everything was pretty much still shut down and we had curfew. I had looked at jobs before I got here but decided to just do Doordash until I found something better.

Doing that really helped me in two ways; for one it kept my bills paid. But more importantly it helped me really get to know the city. I discovered places I would have never visited otherwise.

5. What goals do you want to reach here?

For me, moving wasn't optional. I had been surrounded by pure toxicity for two entire years before I made the leap to come here. My physical health was bad, my mental health was even worse and I didn't think I would survive another second in my hometown.

Coming to Atlanta really helped me escape all the noise and opinions that surrounded me when I was home. I got a chance to make decisions 100% purely for me. I didn't have to consider anyone else, or their feelings and well being.

I got to be selfish. For the first time in a long time and let me tell you, it felt damn good.

When I first came to the decision to move to Atlanta, a place where I knew not a soul, had only 68$ to my name and every possession I owned stuffed in my little Kia Soul I was anxious but I was sure. I was sure that coming down here was the right thing to do, without a doubt in my mind.

Since coming down here I moved into my very own apartment with

no roommates or anything (watch my empty apartment tour here!), landed a job I had been waiting for nearly a year, and was able to finally focus on my business and grew it bigger than ever.

I have met amazing people and made life long connections. I have been able to explore a new city and fall in love with it. Moving to Atlanta was the best choice I made in a long time. What's stopping you from coming? Let me know down in the comments below.