Beautiful Virgin Islands

Sunday, Jul 27, 2025

I quit my tech job in Seattle because I was miserable — here's how I moved to Los Angeles and started over as a freelancer and content creator

I quit my tech job in Seattle because I was miserable — here's how I moved to Los Angeles and started over as a freelancer and content creator

Dayana Sabatin came up with a strict savings plan to put away $10,000 before starting over in Los Angeles. She's now a full-time freelance writer.

Four years ago, I was a financial specialist at a tech company in Seattle — in a cubicle for eight to 10 hours a day, and beyond miserable. I decided I wanted to change my life. 

I always dreamed of living in a city like Los Angeles. So I made a plan and left my life in Seattle behind to move there.

Since then, I've made a life for myself in LA — I'm a writer, blogger and YouTuber — but getting here was a journey. I've heard the stories of people moving to LA with less than $200 in their bank account, and I applaud them — but I wasn't one of those people. I spent three months trying to pay off school debt and save at least $10,000 for my move.

I set a specific amount of money aside for rent, car payment, phone bill, gas, and groceries from every paycheck. Everything else went into savings. The goal was to move with enough money in my bank account to feel comfortable until I could get another job. I didn't give myself the option to spend money on unnecessary things. I'm not a saver — I'm strictly a spender, so it was challenging.

What helped was knowing I was moving towards something that would radically change my life. Mostly though, what got me through was knowing that I was doing this purely because I wanted to. It was exhilarating. 


I didn't like the path I was on


When I was young, my whole life revolved around the idea that I should go to college, get a degree in the tech field, secure a job that pays well, and sell my soul to the corporate world. I was homeschooled in high school, which allowed me to go to college during sophomore year, and it was decided that because my cousin made the most in our family as a software engineer, that I should become one too.

I wasn't the most confident growing up; I didn't have a "passion" for anything. It was incredibly easy for me to be influenced by my family and everyone around me, because there wasn't anything specific that I wanted to do with my life. 

I had interests. I've always loved the idea of becoming a writer — but those dreams felt unrealistic in the world I was raised in.


The change was difficult for the people around me, but I was determined


By moving to LA, I was leaving behind everything I'd ever known — my mom (who's also my best friend), my baby sisters, my cousin who was also my roommate, my dog, and the friends I'd made. I've always been a huge introvert and making friends was a challenge, so the idea of having to make new friendships was scary to think about. 

My family felt blindsided by the news that I was moving. When I told my cousin, she looked at me like I was crazy — my mom was worried I'd be kidnapped or that I'd be all alone because I didn't know anyone. She didn't like that I'd be so far away.

I told her that this was my one chance to do something different and exciting with my life. I had my mind made up — I was going to LA. I'm incredibly indecisive, so to feel so sure about something felt strange, but good. 


Some people in my life tried to stop me from going


My boss tried to stop me leaving my job, promising me a six-figure salary if I stayed and kept my financial specialist position — I said "no thanks" — and my friends also tried to stop me, telling me it would be extremely tough to survive in LA. My ex even tried to get me to stay and then tried to convince me to take him with me.

When people hear that you're chasing your dreams or doing something they don't understand, they get jealous. Usually, it's because they're unhappy with their own lives, and the idea of someone else escaping and thriving bothers them. 


When I saved enough, I found an apartment on Craigslist


I moved to LA before securing an apartment, with around $9,000 in my bank account after paying for a hotel. I still remember the drive from Seattle to Los Angeles. I woke up at 4 a.m., feeling elated. I was doing exactly what I was meant to be doing, and all those years before that moment had set me up to be where I was.

I doubt Craigslist is all that safe nowadays, but I lucked out when using it for my apartment search. The place I found was only 25 minutes from the beach and I had two great roommates — I loved it. 

I used LinkedIn to find a job and I worked remotely for a tech startup for the first few months — I was making $2,000 a month and my rent was $1,200. My pay was enough to cover rent, food, and my coffee addiction, but the hours were infuriating. I felt like I was back in my cubicle in Seattle. After a few months, I quit and took a waitressing job at a hip restaurant in Venice, where I made around twice as much as I did before.

I was still pretty lost in terms of my career, but I was living a life I was genuinely enjoying and building on my own terms. I met celebrities — like Jillian Michaels, Paul Wesley, Emilia Clarke, and Kevin Garnett. I met my now-boyfriend who introduced me to all of his friends, and I went to the beach every single day and ate incredible food.

I started writing on Medium and identified my passion for writing about self-improvement and relationships. The first few months I made a few dollars, eventually those few dollars turned into a consistent few thousand. The monetization of my content came after a whole lot of grinding and hustling. I reached out to brands, did a lot of work for free, and eventually started getting paid here and there for sponsorships and writing articles. I stopped waitressing once I was making enough from writing. 

Now I'm growing my lifestyle blog, my YouTube channel, and working on my book about dating and relationships. Eventually, I want to publish more books — both fiction and nonfiction.


My goal is to be financially free


I want to be able to take care of myself and my family while doing what I love, every single day. I know what it's like to live a life dictated by outside pressure or family expectations, so I want to be an inspiration to other girls who also feel lost in their careers. 

I can confidently say I'm on the right path now, and I've never felt more excited about the direction my life is headed in. If you feel destined for something outside of what you currently have, then go for it. Don't be afraid to color outside of the lines.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
×