Growing up, I heard about people being uprooted and making drastic changes in their lives. I never imagined this would be something I would do at some point in my own life. It's not like me to put myself in a situation that takes me out of my comfort zone, and not just my family and friends, but a climate that is also predictable for me. However, in an effort to get to know my birth family after finding out where they lived, I did what I could to adjust to my new life with my husband and daughter. I face missing the family and friends I left behind and learn to cope with the humidity of summer, freezing winters, and pollen-filled springs. New Jersey is also culturally different from me, and even after eight years, I still struggle to find my place as a Jersey Girl. I never doubted that moving to New Jersey would make me miss being with family and friends. grew up with it. I have a stepmother and four half-siblings that I left behind when I moved to the east coast. Being so far away, I feel like I'm missing out on so many important events that happened in their lives. Sometimes it's not enough to talk with my California family on the phone or on Facebook about what's going on in their lives. I would enjoy the experience of being there to see them face to face. I also have to think about my husband, he left behind an elderly mother and three brothers and a sister to move to New Jersey with me. The move to the East Coast was a huge sacrifice for him in many ways. There are times when I feel guilty that I don't have the financial means for him to visit his family more often. I also miss my old job, I worked regularly for Mattel at their children's... middle of paper ...... in California. I've made a few friends and gotten closer to my biological family, but sometimes I still feel like I'm alone. I remember a conversation a colleague and friend had with me. She spent a few years in New York and told me the East Coast wasn't the right place for me. She said I wouldn't be happy here and would eventually want to come back to Los Angeles. Ultimately, moving to a new area is challenging and affects every aspect of a person's life. This is something they need to think long and hard about before taking that real step. I have no regrets about moving to New Jersey. I use my experience to guide others when they are struggling with the choice to move on their own. I can laugh about most of my experiences now and say that moving to New Jersey changed my life in both good and bad ways...