At 30, a London editor left her job and boyfriend to take a senior reporter role in Los Angeles — a move she abandoned after 16 weeks. According to reports by Business Insider in an essay by Kirsty McCormack (May 18, 2026), the author lasted seven weeks on the job and returned to Europe feeling she had failed.
McCormack told Business Insider she accepted the LA role despite a pay cut and a slight title downgrade because she wanted to live in the US. She said loneliness, visa restrictions on finding other work, and missing her boyfriend contributed to her decision to leave; she spent much of her time alone on Malibu beaches before returning to London.
Ten days after her return, her boyfriend relocated to Italy for a new job and their relationship ended three months later. McCormack reports the breakup precipitated a period of depression and uncertainty about her career and home.
During the pandemic she stayed close to family and later worked remotely from Spain, Italy, and Portugal. While in Spain, she was approached about a job in New York City, accepted the offer at 35, and moved without hesitation — New York had long been her goal.
McCormack writes that the LA experience taught her resilience: the short, difficult stint made it clear she could leave her comfort zone and survive a failed move. That perspective reduced the stigma of returning home and gave her the confidence to try again.
Nearly three years after moving to Manhattan, McCormack says she has established a social life and career stability in New York. She credits the Los Angeles episode with changing her approach to risk and making her more willing to try new things.
Source: Business Insider; essay by Kirsty McCormack, published May 18, 2026.
