u/Huge-Abroad1323

I’m brainstorming ways I could expand my support for an executive I work closely with. She’s a senior leader in a nonprofit with a pretty broad portfolio. She manages a large team of senior professionals, has organizational leadership responsibilities, does substantive subject-matter work herself, travels frequently, and spends a significant portion of her days in back-to-back meetings.

She has specifically mentioned wanting to find more challenging/higher-level work for me to take on. I’m not really looking for the standard EA answers like calendar management, travel booking, expenses, basic meeting coordination, etc. I already understand those areas.

I’m curious about the less obvious things experienced EAs have grown into. Have you taken ownership of a project, system, recurring responsibility, research, reporting, team function, communications work, or something else that genuinely freed up meaningful executive capacity?

I’m especially interested in things that developed organically as you learned your executive’s work, or responsibilities you wouldn’t necessarily see in a typical EA job description.

I’m just looking to crowdsource ideas/examples. I know ultimately it depends on the individual executive and organization.

I’m starting to think about relocating sometime within the next year, and I’d love suggestions for places I may not have considered.

I’m a single woman in my early 40s, currently living in Northern California. I work remotely, although any move would ultimately depend on either confirming that I could remain with my current employer in that state or securing another position first. I’m not planning to move without employment lined up, and this is more of an exploratory search than an urgent relocation.

A little about my background: I’ve lived in Northern California for most of my life, spent a couple of years in North Carolina, and lived in New York City for about 10 years. I’ve also driven across the country several times and have been struck by the natural beauty of places like Wyoming, South Dakota, West Virginia, and parts of the Southeast and Northeast.

What I’m looking for:

Beautiful natural surroundings. I love trees, mountains, beaches, redwoods, lakes, and dramatic scenery. I’m very open geographically and don’t necessarily need all of those things in one place.

Access to nature without being completely isolated. I enjoy solitude and am naturally pretty independent, but I don’t want to live somewhere so remote that basic errands, veterinary care, healthcare, or occasional entertainment become difficult.

A quieter lifestyle with at least some walkability or nearby amenities. I loved the energy and culture of NYC at one point in my life, including being able to walk to restaurants, theater, and everything else, but eventually the density and constant presence of people became too much for me. I probably want something between Manhattan and the middle of nowhere.

A politically liberal or at least genuinely mixed community. I understand that many beautiful rural areas are in conservative states, and I’m not requiring that every surrounding county share my politics. However, I would not be comfortable living somewhere overwhelmingly conservative or where being progressive would make me feel socially isolated.

A climate without extreme heat, humidity, or bugs. I loved North Carolina’s beauty but struggled with the humidity and insects. I currently live in a dry area, so I’m also familiar with very hot, dry summers and would ideally prefer somewhere cooler. However, I would prefer very hot and dry over high humidity.

Dog-friendly housing and surroundings. I have a large dog who loves being outside but is also an escape artist, so having access to rentals with secure fenced yards would be important. This may rule out some beautiful mountain or rural properties that have lots of open land but no fencing. Good walking areas and access to veterinary care also matter.

A community that is not exclusively centered around married couples with children. Dating is not my primary reason for moving, and I’m not specifically looking for anything, but it would be nice to live somewhere with at least some single adults and opportunities to meet people organically. I don’t need nightlife, but I also don’t want to feel like the only unattached person in town.

Some culture and personality. This could mean independent restaurants and coffee shops, local events, bookstores, historic neighborhoods, theater, arts, or simply a town with an interesting identity. I don’t need a major-city entertainment scene, but I would prefer somewhere that doesn’t feel completely generic.

I would initially be renting. I currently pay approximately $2,400 per month all-in, and I’d probably set an upper limit of around $3,000 for the right place, ideally for at least a two-bedroom rental or a small house/townhouse with a secure yard. Less would obviously be better. I’m hoping my income will increase before any move, but I’d like recommendations to be realistic at roughly that budget rather than based on a hypothetical future salary.

I’m open to small or midsized cities, college towns, outskirts of larger metro areas, beach towns, mountain towns, and overlooked regions. I’m also open to places with real winters, although I would need to understand how severe or isolating they are. I don’t necessarily need to stay on the West Coast.

Based on all of that, where would you suggest I explore? I’d especially appreciate recommendations that include both the positives and the tradeoffs rather than treating any place as perfect.

A few firm exclusions: Florida and Texas are not options for me, regardless of the specific city. I’m open to considering politically mixed areas and even some red states, but those two are definite no’s.

Thank you in advance and for reading. I know this was kind of a novel 😂