I thought I'd found my perfect home in California. After 5 years, I left it behind.

I found the city of my dreams, then left it to travel full-time.

Julia Atkinson After living in various US cities , I settled down in San Diego, which felt like my perfect home.

However, five years in, I decided to leave my desk job and apartment to travel full-time.

There are things I miss about the life I built in California, but I'm glad I took a risk.

When I moved to San Diego in 2021, I thought it was my perfect home.

I'd spent months living in different US cities — none of which were quite the right fit — before moving to California.

I absolutely loved taking runs on the city's beaches and hunting for the best tacos in different neighborhoods on weekends.

I decorated the brick walls of my San Diego apartment with work from local artists and bought cute furniture for my patio.

It felt like somewhere I could stay forever.

After five years, though, I gave up my apartment, furniture, and car, and left the city.

Despite the highs and lows, I think I made the right choice.

A career pivot made me rethink my plans At first, I planned to keep my San Diego apartment as a home base.

Julia Atkinson For most of my time in San Diego, I worked a desk job and commuted to La Jolla, about 12 miles away, multiple days a week.

After nearly three years, though, I left the role to pursue my dream of writing about travel.