"I Never Knew I Could Be This Happy": People Who Relocated During The Pandemic Are Sharing What Their Lives Are Like Two Years Later
As we somehow approach the two-year anniversary of the pandemic's onset, I think it's safe to say that life has become more different than we could've ever imagined. The changes have been everything from massive to minuscule — but one undeniable shift that many have felt is a newfound ability to re-examine where we choose to live, and why.
Two years ago, the global work-from-home boom that many folks experienced might've seemed like a temporary solution, but with many employees still working 100% remotely (and many businesses questioning the need for office space altogether), people are still questioning the places they've chosen to reside — and many have made fresh starts in brand new locations.
Buffer / Via giphy.com
We recently asked members of the BuzzFeed Community who relocated during the pandemic to share where they moved to and from, along with their personal reasons for doing so. Surprisingly, no two experiences were even remotely alike. These are some of their stories.
(Also! Just so you know, any monetary figures below representing countries outside of the United States have been converted to US dollars using current exchange rates.)
1.WHERE I LIVED: Los Angeles, California
WHERE I MOVED: Las Vegas, Nevada
WHY: "I'm a lifelong Californian, but the building I lived in started raising rent for no reason other than to 'keep up' with the modern high-rises being built in the area. The elevator was always breaking, too, and I had an elderly mother who desperately needed it. If they wouldn't help us now, what would it look like in the future?"
"I have family in Las Vegas, so I started looking for apartments there. I found one and got approved the very same day, and I moved out all within the same month."
"The quality of life in Vegas is so much better. It costs WAY less to live here, there's hardly any traffic, we're a world-class entertainment city, and I also get to live in the suburbs. I can just relax in the peace and quiet without all of the 'big city' hustle I was so used to before."
2.WHERE I LIVED: Seattle, WA
WHERE I MOVED: "I'm 34, and I moved (along with my parents) to Tenerife, in the Canary Islands of Spain."
WHY: "My brother moved here 10 years ago with his Spanish-citizen husband. My parents were already planning a move to Tenerife to live out the rest of their natural lives, and after everything going on with COVID — among other personal reasons — I realized that there wasn't a whole lot going on for me in the States anyway..."
"Despite not speaking any Spanish before I moved, I decided that it was time for a new adventure! Plus, it would've been really hard to be so far from my immediate family — this way, we all get to be together (and in a brand new place, too)."
3.WHERE I LIVED: "I was living in Austin, Texas. While there, my husband left me — mere weeks into the pandemic..."
"After crying my eyes out and soaking my sorrows in way too much booze, I made the decision to move and fulfill a lifelong dream."
WHERE I MOVED: Santa Barbara, California
"Within a month, I'd gotten the clearance to relocate from work. I secured a pet-friendly apartment, got rid of most of my belongings, packed two cats and a dog into my car, and began the drive. My life is 200% better now, and my new chapter is more amazing than I ever realized it could be."
WHY: "I have a job that I love, I've made some of the best friends of my life thanks to a local MeetUp group, and my pets and I are happy and thriving. Santa Barbara is expensive, but it's gorgeous, too...and truly like living in a perpetual vacation. I never thought my life would take such a turn, but I also never thought I could be this happy. Sometimes a change of scenery can change your life."
4.WHERE I LIVED: "I'm a disabled vet. I was living full-time in an RV, traveling the country and volunteering at federal sites to save money and pay down debts. When the pandemic hit, I couldn't face being trapped in a 25-foot box...so I borrowed some money, towed the rig to storage, and headed for Biloxi, Mississippi."
WHERE I MOVED: "With almost no reasonable housing options, I ended up in a real dump. 10 months later, I moved just outside of Jacksonville, Florida."
WHY: "I figured I'd be able to find a better apartment here in Florida compared to Biloxi, and I was right. But, while the apartment is decent enough, nothing else is..."
"I'm drowning in bills and debt, the cost of living keeps climbing, and I can't stand the political games the governor is playing with peoples' lives. Compared to my former life, it's also really hard to be stuck in one place. I'm used to being able to pull in the slide, hook up the tow dolly, and move wherever I want (whenever I want).
I'll probably never be able to go back on the road, and I can't stand the idea of being stuck long-term in this horrible state. I can only hope that I'll be able to get out of debt — and out of Florida — someday soon."
—Anonymous
5.WHERE I LIVED: Portland, Oregon
WHERE I MOVED: Paris, France
WHY: "I moved from Oregon to Paris to be with my (now) husband. Because of the pandemic, I was able to finish my last semester of school online while in France."
"We're now happily married with two dogs, and I'm working on my master's degree. We were separated for a long time because of the pandemic — this move allowed us to be together long-term much sooner than we were anticipating."
6.WHERE I LIVED: "When the pandemic started, I was living in Phoenix, Arizona. My marriage had been over for years, but we dragged our feet on the legal filing. We still owned a home together that I lived in, alone, and paid the bills for...even after my ex found a new place."
WHERE I MOVED: Santa Cruz, California
WHY: "I started dating someone in Santa Cruz just before the pandemic began, and he ended up living with me for two months while working remotely. Living together really clicked for us, and since I ended up being laid off from my job, I couldn't afford to keep my mortgage anymore. Once my divorce was finally processed, I sold my home, packed up, and moved to the Santa Cruz mountains. It's beautiful — but very lonely..."
"So many activities that I usually made friends through were restricted because of COVID. It's like I'm in suspended animation; I knew it was time to leave Phoenix, and I'm glad to be with my partner here...but I haven't been able to really put down roots and feel settled after almost a year now. I'm hoping it gets better so I can finally start to enjoy this paradise properly."
7.WHERE I LIVED: Cardiff, Wales
WHERE I MOVED: Edinburgh, Scotland
WHY: "We moved for my husband's job, just after the pandemic started. Coming here with a toddler and no friends or family has been one of the most difficult things I've ever done."
"We've been here for 18 months now. I have friends, but it's a very limited support network since there's still so much we can't do because of COVID. We've actually decided to move back to Wales, so we can be closer to the people we love."
"The pandemic has proven that there was no need for us to move up here — my husband is more than capable of working from home, and as a carer, I can pretty much work anywhere. Had it not been for COVID, we wouldn't have been able to move back to Wales...but I might've felt less isolated in Scotland in the first place!"
8.WHERE I LIVED: "Before COVID, I was stationed in North Carolina. I loved my house there, and I generally just loved the state...so when the military told me I had to transfer right after the pandemic started, I wasn't exactly thrilled."
WHERE I MOVED: Burlington County, NJ
WHY: "I arrived in New Jersey in the summer of 2020, and I gotta say...it's really growing on me!"
"The location is amazing — I can get to Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, NYC, or even DC in about an hour, give or take. It's more expensive here, but the schools are really good, there's lots to do, and the weather is bearable *most* of the time. Currently dealing with snow on the ground from a storm, but it seems like that only really happens once a year. I like it here so much, in fact, that I'm hoping to move to a different work section at this base once my current assignment is complete!"
9.WHERE I LIVED: Newport Beach, California
WHERE I MOVED: Oslo, Norway
WHY: "We took a chance with totally new jobs (in a totally different country) during the pandemic, and it's paid off well so far. Let me just say: The weather here is BONKERS compared to where we used to live, but it's been super cool to give our children all these new experiences."
"We're learning a new language and culture, we get to dress for (and play in) the snow for the first time, and we also get to live in a European capital city. We have more time with our kids, too, since Norway is far more flexible with work. There are things we miss, of course: sunshine, good pickles, our family...but we're enjoying the ride!"
—Anonymous
10.WHERE I LIVED: Los Angeles, CA
WHERE I MOVED: "We moved from LA to Riverside in order to afford our first starter home."
WHY: "Rent in LA was getting ridiculously high, and the dangers of living in our neighborhood made it tough to justify the cost of living — and that's in addition to the soul-crushing traffic. Just going to the grocery store could be a 45-minute commute depending on the time of day."
"Riverside might not be the most desirable location ever, but it was close to our family and gave us a chance to finally buy a home and provide for our son and two dogs. Life is so much better now — the only downside is that the options for takeout are severely limited compared to the endless possibilities of LA! But I'll take that over a 45-minute trip to Ralph's any day."
—lzrd
11.WHERE I LIVED: "I had just moved to Sarasota, Florida after retiring from my teaching job in North Carolina...and then COVID hit."
WHERE I MOVED: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
WHY: "I wasn't happy being in such an anti-mask area in Florida, and then my 92-year-old father got sick. So, I told my sister to find me an apartment back in Pennsylvania."
"My son drove a large Penske truck with a car trailer for 1,200 miles, and now I'm back for good. After being gone for 49 years, not much has changed in my town — people are still friendly, helpful, and hard-working. We ended up losing our dad last year, so I'm glad I was able to spend more time with him. There's still not much to do with COVID around, so I might as well be with my family while I still can."
—Anonymous
12.WHERE I LIVED: "My husband and I lived in the Greater Toronto area back in March 2020 when the pandemic started. He commuted into the city daily, leaving just before 7 in the morning. He'd arrive home around 7:30 at night. We lived in a sixth-floor, two-bedroom apartment and were absolutely depressed by our attempts at getting into the housing market."
WHERE I MOVED: "We were both put on work-from-home, and my husband was told he'd 'never return to the office.' We started daydreaming about moving back East, and within two weeks we'd put an offer on a house (sight unseen!) in Halifax, Nova Scotia — where we first met."
WHY: "The people here are amazing, we have lovely friends, our relationship is stronger than ever and I've never seen my husband so genuinely happy."
"We love having the same proximity to the beach as we do to downtown, being so close to nature, but also having the amenities of a city. Our life would be nowhere near where it is now if we'd stayed in Ontario. We'd probably still be waiting to find a house we could afford — or living in one that was practically falling apart."
"Now, a year and a half later, I just left my new teaching job on maternity leave since we're expecting our first baby. We're so happy — but mostly grateful — that the pandemic gave us the push we needed to make the big jump."
—Anonymous
13.WHERE I LIVED: San Francisco, California
WHERE I MOVED: "I moved to my hometown of Fresno, California — mostly to save on rent and the overall cost of living."
WHY: "I was able to get my own one-bedroom apartment for $1,000 per month — a huge difference compared to paying $1,400 just to share an apartment in San Francisco!"
"The financial benefits have been really nice — I've been able to put more towards my student loan debt, and I've been able to actually save money on top of that for the first time...but Fresno pales in comparison to San Francisco in terms of having things to do. I'm a big fan of art and museums, and I miss being able to hop on a bus and ride 20 minutes to the Legion of Honor on a random weekend.
Can't believe I'm saying this...but I miss public transit in general! I've had to spend a lot more on gas and car repairs in the year and a half I've been here compared to what I paid in the four years I spent in San Francisco."
—Anonymous
14.WHERE I LIVED: "Prior to the pandemic, my husband and I were living on Maui in Hawaii — he was born there, and I'd lived there since middle school."
WHERE I MOVED: Portland, Maine
WHY: "I'd been wanting to move to New England for years, even before the pandemic. I wanted to experience actual seasons and to be closer to extended family. I was working remotely for a year when we decided to just go for it. I resigned from my job and told them I could stay on remotely until they found a replacement, and they told me I could just work from Maine indefinitely!"
"I have a bit of a weird schedule to make up for the five-hour time difference, but my husband and I are loving our life up here. This never would have been possible if my boss didn't see that I could do my job 100% remotely during that first year of COVID."
—Anonymous
15.WHERE I LIVED: Boston, Massachusetts
WHERE I MOVED: Missoula, Montana
WHY: "I wanted to enjoy living in the great outdoors for once. After landing in Missoula, I even worked from different countries for a while — like France, Germany, and Colombia. Overall, it's been amazing."
"I'd always wanted to be a 'digital nomad,' and COVID gave me the opportunity to make it happen. I couldn't even imagine this life two years ago."
16.WHERE I LIVED: "I actually moved twice during the pandemic. When COVID hit, I was living in DC. I wasn't super happy. Life felt so 'meh.'"
WHERE I MOVED: "As soon as we were told to work remotely, I moved to Nashville — my hometown."
"I ended up staying for over a year and a half. But while I love my hometown, between the politics, bachelorette parties, and suburban sprawl, I had to get out."
WHERE I ULTIMATELY MOVED: New York, New York
WHY: "I got a new job and they asked me to move to NYC. Ironic, since so many people are leaving NYC for cities like Nashville."
"I've truly never been happier. I have an awesome friend group, I'm always eating good food, and I've met the most fascinating people. It's been worth every penny of the increase in cost of living."
—Anonymous
If you relocated during the pandemic (whatever the reason), let us know where you moved to and from — and why. 👇
Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
