In my earlier post about finding a new apartment in a new city, I mentioned I’d be moving to a new city myself very soon. When I started my job search, I knew that I wanted to move somewhere new, if possible. I had my top cities picked and focused my job search there.

My heart lies in the southeast. Since the day my family left Georgia and moved to Pennsylvania in 2006, I knew that I would go back, for college, grad school and beyond. I made it to Virginia for college and back to North Carolina for grad school. And now, I’m adventuring a little farther south for my first job out of grad school.

I’m so happy, excited and blessed for my next adventure to be… Chattanooga, TN!

My family visited Chattanooga often when we lived in Atlanta. It’s only an hour and a half away, so it was an easy weekend trip. We’d drive up to see shows we couldn’t see in Atlanta, visit the Tennessee Aquarium, hike Lookout Mountain, see Rock City and more. Trips to Chattanooga were some of our favorites, as we did something new almost each time.

Chattanooga is quite possibly the perfect city for me (sorry Atlanta, I still love you). It’s big enough to feel like a city, but it’s not overwhelming. If I ever want a day in a bigger city, I’ve got Atlanta and Nashville close by (which is great, because my boyfriend and I have already planned a visit to ATL in October for a concert!). Downtown has so much to offer, from awesome restaurants, a gourmet cupcake kitchen, all sorts of shopping, a blooming entrepreneurial spirit, and of course the Tennessee Aquarium and the Tennessee River.

Outside of the city, the suburban areas have shopping, entertainment, easy travel and anything else I could ever need or want. I don’t have to go far for a nice grocery store, a mall, movie theater, gyms, essential shopping and more. It reminds me a little bit of where we lived in Atlanta.

The best part? When my mom and I were there last week, we didn’t meet a single person who wasn’t super nice and friendly. Even the sales lady at Dillard’s who helped us introduced herself and offered help like we were family. The hospitality made the experience so nice and easy.

Moving is stressful, and doing it within a few weeks can be overwhelming. But I know I’m moving to an awesome city with so much to offer. I think I’ll be really happy in Chattanooga. I know I’ll be really happy in Chattanooga.

Have you ever moved to a brand new city for a job? What was it like for you?