If You Want a New Life, You Have to Burn Down Your Old One

Cara Says It All

Cara Alwill

Entrepreneurship, Education, Business, Self-improvement

4.8 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 23 February 2026

⏱️ 17 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Six months ago, I burned down my old life. I left everything I ever knew in New York City and headed to Jacksonville, Florida. For love. For a fresh start. And for the chance to meet a new version of myself. But here's what nobody tells you: the move is the easy part. The indentity shift is brutal.

In today's episode, I'm talking about the messy middle, the terrifying limbo that holds you hostage as you step into your new era. It's definitely not all sunshine and champagne, but if you navigiate it the right way, it's always, always worth it.

If you're in-between two versions of yourself right now, this one's for you.

P.S. - Join Hot Girl Writing House here.

P.P.S. - Read my Substack here.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Six months ago, I packed up my entire life in New York City and I left everything behind that I knew and I moved to Florida for love. I literally ghosted my own life. And today I want to tell you exactly what happens after you make a move like that. You're listening to Kara Says at all. I am your host, Kara Awwell. And apparently I disappear for six months and then come back to this podcast. Like nothing happened. But, you know, I've been doing this for nine years. And that's just the vibe sometimes. But I'm back and I'm really excited to be here. I have to tell you, I was so naive when I made the move.
0:38.3	When I left New York, I was born and raised in New York City.
0:41.3	I moved away last August.
0:44.3	I had just turned 45, gotten engaged to Aaron, and I was like, oh my gosh, I'm so excited.
0:51.3	Everything will be less expensive, I'll be in warm weather, I won't have to deal with snow. Life is just going to be so excited. Like everything will be less expensive. I'll be in warm weather.
0:54.8	I won't have to deal with snow.
0:56.3	Like life is just going to be so fabulous.
0:58.6	Well, I got down there and I was challenged to say the least.
1:05.0	I mean, I was happy that I made the move, did not regret it.
1:08.4	But I have to be honest with you, there were moments where I was like,
1:11.8	oh my God, do I need to go back up to New York and just get like a crash pad, like a studio
1:16.7	apartment so that I can like be here like every weekend like still clings in my old life.
1:23.0	It was really tough. In the beginning, I moved in to Aaron's house, which was, I called it the
1:28.7	bungalow. It was like an 1,100 square foot house. Really cute. But we have 50-50 custody of his
1:34.8	three teenage daughters. So you can only imagine what it was like to have him and I, three girls,
1:41.3	one bathroom, a dog and a cat. It was a far cry from the independence and the
1:47.4	freedom that I was used to. And, you know, the first few weeks were kind of like a whirlwind,
1:52.0	and I had moved in and we were furnishing it and like blending my furniture with his stuff and
1:56.8	going and shopping for things and just making everything look pretty.
2:03.1	And I was in this sort of like adrenaline rush.
2:08.7	And when September rolled around, I remember not feeling too great.
2:10.5	Like one of the girls had come home with a fever.
	...

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