I moved to a small Midwestern city for a job. Although I miss my fast-paced life on the East Coast, I’m surprisingly happy.

Growing up, I expected to live the fast-paced life of a performer.

I’m a Jersey girl with a New York City spirit. As a kid, my backyard was the Hudson City Skyline, and my dreams were set on being a principal actor on Broadway.

Most of my childhood weekends were spent in the boroughs of New York City. From family trips to Queens Village to walks in Prospect Park, I learned to navigate the subways and buses at a younger age than most people, and I relished the speed of life.

In college, I frequently took NJ Transit to get my auditioning feet wet. Every callback felt like I was getting closer and closer to my Broadway dreams.

Living so close to New York City made me feel like possibilities were at my fingertips. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic put a pause on everything I’d been working toward.

I knew I had to pivot my career, but I never expected to land in Lansing, Michigan

Broadway shut down, and there was no sense of when it might open again. As theater began to seem like less of an option, I began exploring my backup career plan, a.k.a. the one my parents told me to prepare in case Broadway didn’t work out.

I set my sights on working in broadcast journalism and earned my master’s degree in television, radio, and film in 2022. I thought staying in the entertainment industry would bring me back to the city I knew and loved, but that wasn’t the case.

After submitting what seemed like hundreds of applications and securing far fewer interviews, I landed a job in local television in Lansing, Michigan.

The concrete jungle prepared me for a lot, but processing the idea of moving hundreds of miles away from my family to a city I’d never been to before was daunting.

It’s not that moving to the Midwest was never on my bingo card; it’s just that I imagined heading to another big city like Chicago or Detroit.

Lansing has just over 110,000 residents — far less than the 500,000 or several million in those places. Whereas those places have more than 500,000 residents, Lansing has just over 110,000.

Still, I accepted the job and packed my bags.

Moving to a smaller city has benefited me in ways I never expected

As it turns out, living in a smaller city has been nice for building community. For one, I like walking into my local coffee shop and knowing the barista’s name and story.

After moving, I also quickly found a community of fashion designers, photographers, actors, and many other creatives who shared similar interests.

Many of us connected on Instagram or at community events I found online. I was nervous about attending these events alone, but I almost always walked away with someone’s phone number and introductions to at least two new people.

Living here gave me a chance to start over, where no one knew my name or what I did in high school, and that freedom allowed me to pursue passions I was previously afraid of.

I was never an athlete, for example, but I ran my first half-marathon in 2025.

I didn’t have to leave my performing dreams too far behind, either —they just looked a little different now.

I’ve sung the national anthem at our local baseball game twice, and it took just one video audition. Meanwhile, singing the anthem at a sports game is the kind of thing I auditioned for hundreds of times in New York without much luck.

After taking a break from theater for a while, I got back onstage for the first time in seven years through community productions.

For me, even dating has been better in the Midwest. I met my boyfriend of three years here, and we’re still going strong.

I also have a short drive to work instead of transferring four or five times on different subways and running up and down platforms. I don’t have the same sense of urgency in every aspect of my life like I used to, either.

My dreams are still in New York, but I’m so happy with the life I’ve built

Of course, there are some aspects of big-city life on the East Coast that I’ve had to let go of.

My favorite store isn’t always open, traveling home for the holidays is a huge hassle, and visiting the nearest big city requires a road trip, but I appreciate all that living here has taught me.

One day, I hope to return to New York and revisit my dreams alongside my family and closest friends, but for now, I’ve created another comfy and cozy dream here in Lansing.

And the best part is, those dreams will always be there, ready for me when I return.