Over the past several months, there has been endless discussion on remote work and teleworkers. In my field, where the workforce is a priority, every economic development organization has been asking the question, “how do we capture the new telework population? As we all look for new ways to solve that riddle, I asked myself, why did I move here last year? While I was fortunate to land a great interview for a job already located here, the experience visiting here last March still mattered in making my move to the coast.

I was ready for a change. Ten years ago, I stumbled into my last community. It was supposed to be a temporary stop on my way to a warmer climate and new opportunities. Two weeks turned into two months, then into a few promotions, a wedding, well, you get the point.

There was no pressing reason to leave. I was gainfully employed, engaged in my community, a great group of friends, and I could bike to Trader Joes, but I couldn’t shake my wanderlust. Now don’t get me wrong, I love following #RVLife and respect my friends who can, and will, pack up their car and peace out. I am a little more conservative than that, so it had to be the right place and somewhere to fall in love with for longer than a tank of gas. Plus, I have a mini family with my husband, two dogs. No, I didn’t want an extended vacation. I wanted to live in a place where other people vacation.

From the first day I spent exploring the Golden Isles, I put on my most pragmatic face and was ready to resist falling in love. It didn’t work. It felt like a wonderland as I drove down streets shaded by a tangled canopy of moss and live oak branches. It was March, and the spring blossoms mingled with the sea and marsh gave off this intoxicating salt-and-pepper-floral air that forced me to walk a little slower down the streets. Then there were the beaches! So many places to walk, lounge, throw my kayak in- it was too much. Since that visit, I have discovered that even in the season peaks, you can find your sanctuary. 

More than the beauty, the fantastic meals I devoured each day, even more than the lack of traffic; I fell in love with it here because of the people. I came from a place where strangers don’t talk to you or hold the door open for you. Heck, I didn’t know my neighbor’s name even after five years. In the Golden Isles, people treat you the way you want to be treated. If you say hello, they return the greeting. They invite you to lunch, or their networking group, or find your farm fresh eggs when you first move here. I still have my amazing friends from my last community, but I feel like I become acquainted with a new friendly face every day that I live here. By the way, my friends visit all of the time, because we do live where people vacation.

Now it’s not perfect. I work in an industry that forces me to look at communities under a microscope, and I know that there is work to be done here. With that said, I knew from my research that the region had “good bones” and more potential yet to be discovered. Fortunately, there are many talented and passionate people working and volunteering to make the Golden Isles an exceptional community for years to come. Our announcements section shares a few stories each month about the businesses, programs, and people creating good things in the Golden Isles. 

If you consider bringing your business, or just your job, to the Golden Isles, I’d love to chat- transplant to transplant. If you prefer to explore on your own, this page offers you more information about living here. Also, our Instagram page, @GoldenIslesDev, highlights the people and lifestyles that mix it up here. 

I enjoyed this opportunity to share how I discovered the Golden Isles and love that my story is one of many. Follow #WorkFromGlynn as I share other young professionals’ journey to the Golden Isles.