I left Silicon Valley for a dream job in Chicago. I wasn't prepared for how crushing the loneliness could be.

Fri, 04/12/2024 - 06:54

Jaime Muñoz standing in front of a pink wall; Muñoz standing in front of a window with a view of the Chicago skyline. — Jaime Muñoz moved to Chicago for a job at a fintech startup in July 2022.
Courtesy of Jaime Muñoz

After graduating from Stanford, Jaime Muñoz moved to Chicago for a dream fintech job.
He worried about leaving the Silicon Valley startup hub behind, but felt the risk could pay off.
He said the hardest part was losing proximity to his close-knit family in California.

This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Jaime Muñoz, 30, about moving to Chicago for a dream job after finishing his MBA at Stanford. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I arrived in Chicago in July 2022, feeling optimistic.