Okay, let's start with the obvious…
Are you still moving to New York? Going to grad school? If the answer is no (spoiler alert: it's a no) then why?
I know this is going to be the biggest question everyone has because as I mentioned earlier just a year ago I announced that I was accepted into NYU's grad school program and that I was moving back home for a bit to save up money for this big move. Since that announcement though, my plans have changed just a bit—okay a lot—and here's why.
Around the same time that I decided to apply for grad school, I also came to my boyfriend with a business idea. That business idea was to buy the property and turn it into an Airbnb. While we waited for my acceptance from NYU we started to plan for that AirBnB and look into what it all took to start this business venture together. Then I was accepted to NYU but in that blog post, I shared it was the online program. Because of COVID-19 and the strict restrictions in New York City at the time I decided to differ because I wasn't just yet comfortable with moving to New York and spending another 100k in student loans (and yes, NYU is that expensive) all for an online program. My heart wasn't set for an online program and if I moved to New York and attended NYU I wanted it to be in person. I would also prefer not to attend classes wearing face masks and social distancing from my classmates. I wanted it to be a real NYU grad school experience.
While I decided to differ we started our search for the perfect home for our AirBnB. I thought we could buy a home, do what we needed to do, and have it all done before I started classes in the Fall of 2022. Then reality hit and I FINALLY understood what everyone meant when they would say, "The housing market is terrible right now." I've never owned property before (#renter4life) so I didn't really know all that went into buying a home. I'm not exactly the best at this whole "adulting" thing so that was also a very hard lesson to learn.
Nonetheless, we have finally found the perfect home and are moving in just a few days! We're very excited to move and start the renovations before listing it on Airbnb, but that means that NYU and NYC have been put on hold for now. The business venture we're starting on is going to take a lot of work and a lot of time—and I simply can't be in two places at once.
New York is still my dream, but as I start my adventure into my 30s I've realized New York isn't going anywhere. My passions and career goals have changed and that's OKAY. I beat myself up for a long time because I was very excited about NYU but I can't justify spending my savings and starting all over again on student loans (literally my Bachelor’s is almost paid off) for an online degree in one of the most expensive cities in the world. I want to move to NYC one day. May it be for grad school, for a job, or just for fun when I can afford it and not feel anxious about it.
So that's the very long-winded explanation on that...is I am currently not moving to New York City or attending NYU for the time being. Who knows—maybe next year's updated life q&a will have a totally different answer š.
Where are you moving to?
If you don't follow me on Instagram (which what are you doing? go follow @michelekatsaris now!) then you would know we bought property in *drum roll please* . . . Orlando, FL! We really thought about the market and had to choose a vacation spot that not only will forever be permanent (thanks to Disney World) but is also a place that we love to travel to ourselves. At the end of the day, this is a home of ours and we want to be able to utilize it as a vacation home too.
Why Orlando?
Kind of as I mentioned before we did a lot of research about places that will forever have an influx of tourists. It's a vacation/travel hub and no matter what the season people are always visiting Orlando. Our budget also had us getting more for our buck in Florida. We were able to buy a multi-room home with a pool! Plus we love it! Why not buy property in a place you love?
Are you keeping your job?
Nope! I actually tried to pitch a full-time remote position to my company and they said no. Not because of my work ethic—I’m an amazing employee, so it’s their loss—but they just aren’t allowing full-time remote right now. So the job search began and I was very fortunate to land a full-time remote position. Now I can move anywhere, anytime, and not stress about having an income.
When are you moving?
We will be fully moved come the end of October!
How long are you going to live in Florida?
The honest answer is: I don't know. We have not given ourselves a time limit or an end date on when we plan on moving again. All I know is we want this house listed as soon as possible and then we'll stay in the area to maintain it and hire a trusted team to help us manage it. Who knows, maybe we'll even open up another property before we move again š.
When will the AirBnB be listed?
We plan on having this AirBnB listed within a year after moving in. The best way to know when this AirBnB will be listed is to follow along on social media on Instagram @thehappiestairbnb and TikTok @thehappiestairbnb. We hope to have it up and listed by this time next year, so *fingers crossed* š!
This seems random…
Not a question, but a comment I definitely wanted to address. I get it! This does seem random to those who aren't in my inner circle. We kept this news kind of on the DL because we wanted to announce it when the time was right. We weren't sure how long it would take us to find a home given that we started this process in 2020. So it’s been over two years in the making and really not that random in the grand scheme of things. But like I said, I get it. I get why Florida may seem random, but we thought this through 110% and made conscious decisions along the way.
Where can we find updates about the AirBnB?
There are quite a few places you can find updates at! The #1 place of course is here at micheleonel.com, but we also created an Instagram and TikTok account @thehappiestairbnb. I'll also post more intimate updates including being a homeowner and Florida life on my Instagram and TikTok @michelekatsaris!
I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for all of their support and such nice comments. Like I said, I really didn't know anyone was truly following along and it makes me so, so happy to know that there are people who do read my blogs and follow my journey online š„°. I can't wait to share this new chapter of my life with you all so be sure to follow me on social media to be the first to know! Hopefully, this answered all of your questions but if you have any more just comment down below!
xoxo, Michele
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