30 DAYS MIA

We out here, fam! What now?

I moved to Miami exactly one month ago and the results are in. It’s lit.

On that note, only a few people actually know WHY I moved here, so I’ll start with that.

I moved to Miami because everything in my gut said “GO.”

Also, because I caught myself doodling “run away” more than once during meetings at my corporate gig.

Also because, after 10 years in Nashville, the thought of staying put was actually scarier than the thought of cutting ties with all the familiar, comfortable, wonderful, convenient and necessary things in my life and diving into the unknown.

I had no idea what was about to happen. And I fucking loved that feeling. I had to go.

So that’s why I’m here. But why am I HERE – launching joeyleslie.life, sharing this story now and many more soon? 

For months, my focus has been on GETTING TO MIAMI. Like a dog chasing a car, I had no real clue what I’d do when I got here.

But it’s getting clearer every day.

As friends and strangers have reached out to me asking me to share more stories and photos, I want to chronicle the experience of uprooting a perfectly fine life in pursuit of a wonderfully authentic one. Because as I’m writing this in an empty living room overlooking Biscayne Bay – I’m finally realizing I. frickin’. did it.

I redesigned my life.

Is it perfect? Hell no!
Am I paying a lot more for an apartment that originally planned? Hell yes.
Do I have a sofa in my living room? Nope, that’s an air mattress.
Have I hemorrhaged money during this move? Yes, and I’m considering selling my underwear on Craigslist because I hear that’s a thing now.

BUT… also some “Yays!”

• I’ve started living that freelance lifestyle with the launch of my new marketing company CLEVEREST.
• My creative fire is lit (as evidenced by our joining together here at our screens today) and is stoked daily by the sun and sea and the diversity (read: lovable weirdness) of this city.
• My tan is Grade A.

 

And, some surprises…

• I find myself closer in spirit now to my family and more friends than ever before.
• I’m proud of myself for maybe the first time ever. (Which is hard and embarrassing to admit.)
• I’m starting to know myself – and, unencumbered by the need to ‘fit in,’ I’m learning what authenticity means to me.

And those are only a few of the unexpected outcomes of redesigning my life and living each day with intention.

I took a risk and I’m happier than ever. I redesigned my life into one that I love every day… multiple times a day. And I feel a sense of obligation to share my experience and let you know that you can do the same thing. (And maybe because I’m a millennial and/or a narcissist. Who’s to say, really?)

If your gut is telling to you to run away, if your heart gets gigiddy when you think about your passion project on the side, or you feel a twinge of guilt when you think about that book you never wrote or that trip you never took or whatever thing it is you’ve been afraid to do – I want to share my story with you in hopes that it might help you get closer to living your dream.

I had no idea that people would be interested in hearing about my life – nonetheless inspired by it – but I’ve been humbled and thankful and flattered that people do. So I’m going to keep sharing my exploits, social experiments, commentary, and lessons learned.

Because the unexamined life is not worth living. And I didn’t move here to be a boring hermit with nothing to talk about. And if my stories and can serve as a guide book or catalyst for you to chase after your dreams, then it’s a cherry on top of this thing that is already freakin’ deliciously wonderful.

Stay tuned to hear about:

• the subtle signs that told me it was TIME TO JUMP
• the pros and cons of setting your comfort zone on fire in pursuit of a full life (it’s mostly pros)
• the crazy, wonderful, frustrating, surprising plot twists that happened during my redesign process
• What life is like here in the MIA including a section I’m calling EXPIRATION DATING… because, oh yeah, I’m actually dating down here and doing pu-retty good at it. Wink.
• Inspiration and “How To’s” about designing a life you love, living with intention, a not running away when shit gets real. (And if you do it right, it will get real and it will be awesome.)

To be clear…

I’m sharing NOT because I think everyone could or should do what I did but because, in a way, my story is universal for anyone who’s feeling the urge to make a change but is waiting for a sure sign, or a rush of confidence, or (worse) the final straw.

Mine is not a story of survival, but of flight. Of soaring. Of running from boredom and flirting with fear. This is a story of living. And it’s messy and scary and sometimes embarrassing. And it’s good.

We are all perishable items. I’m living accordingly and I hope you’ll do the same.

xoxo

Joey