Today is my last day as an official “New Yorker” as we fly out to Lisbon on a one-way ticket tonight with my husband and 3 kids. 

Thirteen of the hardest, craziest, most fun, exhilarating chapters of my life. That chapter is closed.  

So in lieu of an AI or Storytelling insight….may I present to you this story. The story of why we are making this move.

*** Also sorry this is a dissertation today but you’ve been hella warned. Get your  (large) coffee ready and go get all the WAAY cozy.

We got married blocks from where we live in Brooklyn 2012.

I have not processed this fully and won’t for some time but thought I’d use this email as a chance to answer a lot of your “But WHY are you moving?”  and “What will happen to your business?” questions.

My  media career was launched in NY , I birthed my babies here (one almost in a cab) & my business was born here in 2017

First off, there is no one big reason why we are moving. It’s a lot of little reasons put together. I’m going to give you 5 but really it’s like 10!

Also there is no one who loves living in NY more than me. So it’s all a bit confusing at times.

It truly is the greatest city in the world and I can think of no greater gift to your kids than to raise them in an environment where freedom of expression, thoughts and dreams are always available to them.

NYC is an amazing place to raise kids

Anything goes here and even the billionaires have to share a wall, floor or ceiling here in NY.  I love how all walks of life truly mingle here.  BUT we’re leaving for a new adventure…with no return date in mind…so here we go:

Even the gazillionaires have to share walls here in NY…but unsure if they take the subway:) (let’s believe it’s YES!)

1. NYC has gotten out of control $$$.

It’s always been expensive, but truly, it’s reached epic proportions. Unless you are locked into an amazing rent deal (which we actually were because our 84-year-old Italian landlord doesn’t believe in what’s happening to the housing situation) your options become limited.

To find an amazing apartment to rent in our adorable Brooklyn neighborhood that was bigger than our current one and an upgrade would have cost us around $12K-$15K a month and that is considered a “deal” by many. We have no desire to move to the burbs or even another neighborhood as we spent 13 years building our community…but that’s a lot of money to pay in rent.

You can justify the high cost of living with what you get in culture, diversity of people and thoughts and possibilities for the future

2. My business revenue is mostly online now and this is the first time my husband doesn’t NEED to be in NYC

Prior to Covid, this could never have happened. My whole business was production shoots. I only made money if my team was hired to make video so I was running around most weeks to shoots. But covid (like many of us) forced me online in an intentional way for the first time. I started to use my social media as marketing platforms & not just family albums. Started courses, workshops, 1:1 consults, email marketing, live programming. And was exposed to this whole other way of doing business…from anywhere.

And my husband -who works in tech – his boss moved to Valencia, Spain a few years ago from Brooklyn with his two young kids. When the boss sets that precedent, it opens up more possibilities. For the first time Olly didn’t NEED to be in NY full time and Europe was all of a sudden an option.

My business is mostly online & Olly’s latest job didn’t require him to be in NYC

Also, the new visa options being put out by MANY countries are available for people like us who are not EU citizens (my husband’s status DRASTICALLY dropped in the marriage post Brexit:)

Never before could you just go and live in a country without being a citizen or being sponsored by a company. So we decided to take advantage as I believe these visas will not be around indefinitely.

Portugal has digital nomad visas and both me and Olly qualify so we took that as a sign to make the leap

3. We are a travel family & always up for adventures

I married someone who left his home country for America. We prioritize International travel with our kids -even as infants. Even as unstable toddlers. I lived in Singapore for a period of time as a child.

Our 2019 family Portugal vacation was by far the best European trip we took up until that point. I remember thinking in 2019 (before any of this was A THING) “wow, I almost feel like I could live in Portugal.” I think the seeds were planted without me realizing. We also make a point to prioritize experiences over stuff. We only just bought a car a few years ago (when Cass was born)  and our apartment has no outdoor space or extra room. We choose to spend money on travel so this is on-brand.

 

Any extra money we have always goes towards travel

4. The guns

I NEVER thought this would be a factor. “I’m in NY! We are immune!”. But nope. We are not. My oldest came home crying last year -and he trends British emotionally so I was taken aback. He asked me if “he could go to a school that doesn’t have to do gun drills because he hates them so much.” Part of me died that day and it was the first time I thought to myself, “What am I doing here?”

The Highland Park shootings on the 4th of July in 2022 was also another “what am I doing” moment. I grew up very close to that area and know many people who live in that area. That town will never be the same and the generational trauma inflicted on a place that was similar to my own upbringing hit me in a deep way. What we as American parents have to bear on a daily basis is incomprehensible to the rest of the world….and I decided in the last few years that I would be open to “living abroad”.

The gun crisis in this country. I never thought it would come into play for me…because I love living here. But a few incidents left me being open to an abroad move.

5. Quality of life upgrade

We travel a lot and the rumors are true. The Europeans have a much healthier way of life and this is coming from someone who THRIVES on the hustle, the grind, the NY energy. I LOVE IT. I love to go out. Meet new people. Try new things. Have weird, random nights.  The chaos. It’s addictive.  And I am low key nervous my business is going to suffer for it. Who am I without this backdrop is something I ask myself a lot these days.

Who am I without this addictive, hustle backdrop? I am not sure but am curious to explore this answer 

BUT you know what I don’t love? Always feeling like I need to do MORE things to make MORE money to live a certain way. The constant low drum anxiety of “is this ENOUGH and WHEN is enough?” The energetic hustle comes at a cost. I am curious to see what it feels like to live in a place that doesn’t prioritize work, money & capitalism at all costs as the guiding North Stars of living. I may hate it. My business might take a hit. But I won’t know unless I try it out.

NYC has been an adventure of a lifetime but I’m curious to see how my family will thrive (or maybe not!) in a new culture

And What about the business?
Are you still with me!?!? If so, we’re REAL FRIENDS

But this is way long…so stay tuned for a Part 2 about how I plan on changing my business….

The reasons we wouldn’t move are all based in fear…not a good enough excuse

But please ask me anything and I will still be in your inbox every week dishing out all the insights on all things storytelling, marketing, and entrepreneurship…..and now what I’m seeing in these spaces over here in Lisbon!

I hope to tell you more stories & storytelling tips, in your inbox. The subscribe form is below!

13 years and it took me 13 of them to go to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade for the first time in 2022… it did not disappoint!