Paxton Mittleman

Four months ago, I hopped on a plane and decided to move 2,941 miles away from home (yes, I Googled it, sue me). I remember my first night, standing by myself in a bar in San Francisco, and thinking to myself – what the hell did I just do?

Clearly, we have moved passed that phase because I am still here, laying down more roots in the Golden State by the day. I have gotten so many questions about my experience thus far, so I’ve decided to lay some of my most common answers out here. Peruse at your own pace, and learn about my crazy decision to move across the country five days after I graduated from the University of Delaware.

1.  Paxton, how do you like your job?  I love, love, love my job. I recently got hired on full time as an Account Coordinator on Ketchum’s Technology practice team. As an Account Coordinator, I’m the glue that keeps teams in place, managing tasks and ensuring all assignments are accomplished. I build media lists, pitch top-tier targets, recap client calls and so much more. What I like most about my team is they are as interested in seeing me succeed as much as they are in seeing our clients succeed.
2. Paxton, what is it like being an actual living breathing post-graduate adult?Being a post-grad is one hundred percent an adjustment from college. All of a sudden, you have complete independence – which is amazing and terrifying at the same time. If you’re like me, and decide to move out of your home post-grad, you add in the stress of hardcore budgeting. That means skipping out on a night out to buy groceries, or making the most of that monthly public transit pass instead of ordering the Uber. The checks and balances of managing life are hard, but it gets easier as the weeks pass and I realize what I can and cannot afford. 
3. Paxton, what is it like living in San Francisco, which is 2,941 miles away from your hometown? Let me start by saying that moving out here was not an easy decision. There are days where just I really, really need my mom, or wonder why I didn’t just stay home and save a ton of money. But I have no regrets because every day I learn something new in San Francisco. The buildings are beautiful, and as unique as the people living in them- no two look the same. The landscape is filled with amazing urban hiking opportunities (mostly because this city is on a freaking hill….which is also good and bad). The culture is incredibly laid back, but also collaborative – San Francisco is truly interested in seeing the entire city rise together.
4. Paxton, how do you like the people you are meeting in San Francisco? One of my biggest fears moving out here was that I wouldn’t make any friends. I am so lucky to have met some of the most incredible people during my time in SF. Through my work, I met Summer Fellows that turned into my family (then they all left me, but they’ll be back). My roommates – first Danielle and Kayla, and now Anna and Lulu – are smart, funny, and keep me sane when I get a little too “New York.” From my Norwegian friend who loves to knit, to the Google residents who are just starting careers in software engineering, what unites my friends is this passion about what they’re doing, and that’s pretty freaking cool.

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5. What have you learned since moving to San Francisco? Through living in San Francisco and being on my own, I’ve gained a new sense of perspective on what kind of adult I want to be. I’ve learned to loosen up a little and focus on the bigger picture. I’ve learned the rules they teach you in college don’t always apply; sometimes, you have to make your own rules. I’ve learned you have to be assertive to get what you want. I’ve learned that my favorite Mexican place in the city, hands down, is El Techo. I’ve learned to love myself a little more.

Did I answer your questions? Okay, good. Wish me luck as I keep exploring this new city and figuring out what it means to transition from a New York State of Mind to a California Gurl mentality.