For some, being lost might be scary. While for others it may be a gateway to a path unknown, a new place, a new beginning/….

Hi, I’m Alyssa. & this is where I was lucky enough to grow up (pictured). Surrounded by California beaches, mountains, you name it. And I completely took it for granted. I began looking around and seeing the same people I’d known my entire life, doing the same things… and I hated being there. I wanted something different. I wanted to say YES to new places, new friends, a new life. So I did.

Now, before you get too excited…. I didn’t forego all my responsibilities and move to Costa Rica or anything. But I started saying yes to things I otherwise wouldn’t have. It began with a month-long trip to Europe that changed the way I viewed the world.

It was my first time even being on a plane! First stop: LA to the Netherlands.

I rode bikes across the Amsterdam canal.

Saw SO much history….

Drank beer in Germany..

And made countless friends and memories along the way.

….and I did it completely alone. 9 countries in a summer. All because I said yes.

This was just the beginning. After I got back to the states, I felt restless. I began constantly needing something new, an adventure, a trip, anything… so I did the unthinkable

After applying to finish my degree-I packed my shit, kissed California goodbye, and moved to Lincoln, Nebraska.

People to this day still ask me- “Why on earth would you leave beautiful California for the Midwest?”

Well, here’s why.

Why I Left California