Today we’d like to introduce you to Martina Trejo.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Martina. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
As a Bay Area native, San Diego was never on my shortlist of places to live. Sure it’s a beautiful city but I always imagined myself in a bustling metropolis like New York. After living in Seoul, South Korea for 3.5 years, you could say I was quite comfortable hopping on and off the subway, having access to restaurants 24/7, and meeting people from all over the world. But when love came knocking at my door and my long-distance boyfriend of two years asked me to move with him to sunny San Diego, I couldn’t say no.
So in 2015, I packed everything I owned and prepared to start a new life with no clear vision in sight. The first two years were awful. I struggled to find creative work and people I could connect with. I liked nothing about my new city and was beginning to question if love was the only thing I had in San Diego.
As a way to cope, I decided I needed a creative outlet. My blog, San Diego Noire, was born out of my passion for writing and desire to get to know San Diego. It became my little slice of the internet that satisfied everything lacking at work and the new city I lived in. Because I was experiencing San Diego through a different lens, I became interested in the people behind the places I frequented and learning their stories.
By following my passion, I picked up a freelance client who needed someone to manage social media for her salon. As a content marketer who has worked everywhere from start-ups to the agency world and Petco headquarters, I have a diverse background in content creation that spans a variety of industries.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
There were many bumps in my journey in San Diego. I hopped around from job to job looking for the perfect fit. Figuring out this part of my life next to my fiancé who found his calling as an engineer, caused self-doubt, anxiety, and depression. The pressure to find career success was starting to weigh heavily on me.
Desperate to fix myself, I found a therapist who used a procedure called Neuro Emotional Technique (N.E.T.). For six months, I pulled all my skeletons out of my closet to resolve issues from the past interfering in my present.
While working through these challenges, I realized I was my greatest obstacle. I discovered the importance of writing, exercise, and meditation to create balance in my life. This journey of self-exploration and increased self-awareness helped me become a person who no longer had to fake being happy. Because of this, I am more honest when writing and less fearful of being judged.
Please tell us about your work.
While San Diego Noire is a creative outlet that I use to tell my story, my ultimate goal is to build a community for transplants struggling to adapt to life in their new cities. The general themes of finding a purpose, a career path, self-development, or life changes, are all parts of the human experience we can relate to.
Through storytelling, San Diego Noire will become a platform that captures the unique style and personality of this coastal city. I hope to present San Diego, a city I once overlooked, as a vibrant place where dreams can come true. In doing so, I will showcase some of my favorite places and connect people through unforgettable experiences.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I equate success as a writer by impacting as many lives as possible. If something I share leads to a discussion over dinner or inspires someone to try something new, my job is done. I don’t create my content to influence people in making decisions but to share parts of life that are difficult to talk about. As time goes on, my success will be measured by the growth of my community and becoming a published author who pursues personal projects full time.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sandiegonoire.com/
- Email: sandiegonoire1@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandiegonoire/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sandiegonoire/
Image Credit:
Kathy Chappell (first solo image only)
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