How Moving To A New City Opened My Eyes To New Things
By: Andrew Chirico
It was a warm September afternoon in Chestertown, Maryland.
I was walking back to my room after class when I received an email from Anna Duffy, asking if I was interested in interviewing for a position as Taziki’s Digital Marketing Strategist. To be completely honest, being a New Jersey native, I wasn’t familiar with the brand or the food.
After doing my research, I immediately found the food and mission compelling.
Long story short, after a couple of interviews, I was offered the position with the option to move to the greater Nashville area. Before I tell you why I chose to take the job, let me give you a quick background story.
I became a creature of habit and routine for the past six years, which comes with both positive and negative effects. The positive was, I did well at school but the negative was, I stayed in the zone of contentment.
Taziki’s was an opportunity not only to build a digital department but also to break out of my comfort zone and try something new. It took a lot of hard thinking, discussions with family, pros and cons lists, etc. but ultimately, I realized this was my chance to grow.
I pulled the trigger and accepted in early November and have enjoyed every single moment. Yes, of course, I miss home, family, friends, my mom’s cooking (especially that chicken parm), but I’m doing what’s right for me with an amazing team at Taziki’s.
To be transparent with you all, there are times when I do think about if this was the right decision and I end up getting those thoughts quickly knocked down by my parents over Facetime. (Man, that app has been used a lot these last four months.)
These past five months have opened up a new world to me. I’m getting the opportunity to travel and see new places, eat different food, make new friends from work and my town, try new things (like running a marathon in Carmel, Indiana). The list goes on and on. If two years ago you told me I would be on a plane flying to WVU for work, I would have laughed at you and said, “no way.”
Moving to a new city can seem daunting, and it should. What I’ve recognized is that if you do something new with an open mind and with the right support from family, friends, co-workers, you will succeed.
This year I’ve been able to redefine what success looks like for me. Before it was staying within the guardrails of life, and now the growth that has come with saying, “yes” is making me the most successful version of myself. The next time someone asks you to do something, I challenge you to lean into a yes instead of a no. You might just find yourself in a new city, trying new things, and working for a company that you love.
I hope you enjoyed this post and would love to hear your story of when you tried something new. Connect with me on LinkedIn @AndrewChirico!
About Andrew: Andrew Chirico is a New Jersey native and recent graduate from Washington College where he studied Business and Marketing. He recently moved to the greater Nashville area to take on the role as the Corporate Digital Strategist. Andrew takes on all digital, social, and email marketing projects.