Why Leaving Everything Behind and Moving to Austin, Texas Was the Best Decision I Ever Made
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The decision to move to Austin, Texas from New Hampshire—and from everything and everyone I knew—was not particularly easy for me.
Up until that point in my life, most of what I thought I wanted seemed impossible.
Before I got married, it seemed very likely that I would end up exactly where I started: in a loud, Caribbean family with a questionable set of morals and a party lifestyle far beyond what my 23-year-old self could (or wanted to) handle.
Yes, I enjoy a good party. But a party every weekend, surrounded by people who lacked personal integrity? That was not the life I wanted.
I didn’t know how to articulate it at the time, but I was seeking peace. A life that was less externally loud, so I could finally hear myself.
That’s always been part of me. That’s why the black bird in the Flying Upstream Podcast logo means so much. I’ve always been the black bird—flying against the current. The outsider. The one who wanted more, not in terms of money or status, but in meaning.
I value tradition, deeply. In my own family, with my children, it’s something I’m intentional about. But tradition only means something when it’s built on a foundation of alignment. I couldn’t align with the values I came from—so I had to choose different.
New Hampshire: The First Taste of Peace
When I was a single mother and married a man like no other I’d met, it felt like the sky and the gates of hell opened simultaneously.
We were both driven to become more—better than the families we were born into, bolder than the limits we’d grown up with.
With youthful grit, my 4-year-old son, and two full-time jobs between us, I moved to New Hampshire, the first place that felt truly peaceful to me.
It’s where my son went to his first public school.
It’s where we bought our first home.
It’s where we planted roots and tasted what a grounded life could look like.
But the same snow-covered charm that drew me in was the same cold that eventually pushed me out.
Shoveling the long driveway. Scraping ice off the roof. Managing a home, a family, and careers through endless New England winters… it was a lot.
Enter: The Call to the South
When my then-husband brought up moving to warmer weather, this Caribbean-born mama didn’t need convincing.
I dove into research and discovered that the cost of living in the South was significantly lower, and the homes? Huge, spacious, sun-filled.
Texas made the shortlist immediately.
We planned a 5-day scouting trip to Dallas. I had my list:
- Schools ✅
- Diversity ✅
- Hair salons that could manage mine and my daughter’s curls ✅
- Dominican food? Let’s see! 👀
We were thorough, but on Day 3, we still had extra time—so we decided to make a spontaneous stop in Austin. I’d heard about the live music scene, and being a lifelong music lover, I figured—why not?
Austin: The Moment Everything Shifted
When we pulled out of our hotel that morning, we were simply looking for a Dominican food truck we’d found on Google Maps.
But what I found instead was… myself.
As I stepped out into the Austin sun, something shifted. It wasn’t just the heat touching my face—it was like it reached my soul.
The energy of the city was magnetic. It held a mix of peace and promise—as if anything was possible here.
It reminded me of stepping off the plane and onto the runway in my Caribbean homeland. That sensation of warmth, of freedom, of homecoming…
That moment was an awakening.
Austin whispered, “You’re allowed to let go of the past. You’re allowed to heal. You’re allowed to dream.”
It felt like the kind of place where both my wild ambition and my deep desire for rest could coexist.
That was the balance I had been seeking my whole life—the tame and the wild, the order and the soul fire. And in that moment, I knew: Austin wasn’t a vacation spot. It was a calling.
Austin Healing Favorites
To make your own healing journey in Austin even more special, here are a few of my favorite must-do experiences and spots as a (now) local.
🏨 Where to Stay in Austin
- Hotel Van Zandt – by Kimpton
A boutique hotel in the heart of downtown Austin with live music, great food, and rooftop pool views that’ll open your heart wide. - The LINE Austin
Perfect for creatives and travelers seeking inspiration. Overlooks the lake and has modern rooms with artistic flair.
🍽️ What to Eat
- East Side Food Truck Tour
Try everything from Dominican pastelitos to tacos that will make you believe in magic again. Book a local food tour to dive deep into Austin’s flavor scene.
- Bouldin Creek Café
Vegetarian comfort food in a soulful setting. A favorite for grounding energy and feeling nourished.
🎸 What to Do
- Live Music on South Congress
Walk the strip and catch spontaneous sidewalk performances. Stop by The Continental Club for legendary tunes. - Lady Bird Lake Kayaking or SUP
Rent a paddleboard through GetYourGuide and connect with the peaceful waters of the city.
Ready to Move to Austin, Texas & Heal?
Traveling can be more than just an escape. It can be a way home—to yourself.
For me, Austin was a portal. A sacred detour that led me deeper into alignment, expansion, and healing.
Maybe you’ve been doing all the “right” things lately—working hard, staying productive, ticking the boxes—but something still feels off. That’s the energy of overworking without joy, striving without soul.
It’s a wake-up call.
It asks:
What are you building—and is it really aligned with the life you want?
Have you been investing energy in things that look good on paper but leave you emotionally and mentally drained?
If you’re reading this and feel like you’re ready for something new—but aren’t sure what that is—maybe it’s not about trying harder.
Maybe it’s about pausing, feeling, and listening.
Sometimes, moving—physically or spiritually—is how we reset our focus. It’s how we remember our deeper “why.”
Maybe you’re not lost. Maybe you’re just being redirected… back to yourself.
In Power, In Purpose, On My Terms ✨ Luisa Anderson
Start Your Journey
✨ Grab your free workbook: Where Are You Right Now?
✨ Ready to go even deeper on the power of letting go and starting fresh?
Tune into Episode 016 of the Flying Upstream Podcast – “Find Your Freedom: Why Letting Go is the Ultimate Life Hack.”
In this transformative episode, our guest Elle Sompres shares their journey of embracing minimalism, releasing expectations, and creating a purpose-driven life. If my story about moving to Austin stirred something in you, this conversation will give you the tools and inspiration to start your own freedom journey—no matter where you are. 🎧 Click here to listen now!
Let this be your next step toward alignment, expansion, and coming home to yourself.
