My life in NYC revolved around drinking. After I got laid off from Hinge, I moved across the country and started a non-alcoholic wine brand. I'm never going back.

• Molly Fedick was the creative director at the time.

• She started a non-alcoholic wine company during the Pandemic.

• She said that moving to Southern California has made her feel better.

The as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with a woman named Molly Fedick. Her words have been changed.

I lived in New York for a long time. I was the creative director for four years.

I had always wanted to live in New York, but my life became more and more chaotic as time went on.

Everything in New York is hard, from renting an apartment to grocery store shopping. I had a fire in my apartment after the laundromat caught on fire. There was a lot of chaos.

I was working at a startup that was growing very fast. It worked a million hours a week and went out all the time to de-stress. There wasn't an off button in my life. Get up, work out, and have drinks afterwards. It was the same every day.

I left New York City at the first chance I got

I didn't drink a lot when I first moved to New York. I don't drink to over consume. There was booze everywhere I turned. There was alcohol everywhere, whether it was a happy hour at the office, a birthday brunch, going out to dinner with friends, or just going out on the weekend. I was going out and drinking a lot.

I left the city immediately after the outbreak of the Pandemic. I packed my suitcase and left after they told us they were closing our office. If things got scary, I had nowhere to go because everyone was on the West Coast. I got on a plane and flew away.

I spent six months in Key West and another six months in Lake Tahoe while telecommuting. I decided to stop drinking for a while. I was not sure if it would be for a long time or a short time. I stopped drinking about nine months ago.

After I was laid off, I started a non-alcoholic wine company 

I was laid off from Hinge in December of 2020. I knew I wouldn't have to go back to New York when it was all said and done.

I came up with the idea for Buzzkill Wines while I was there. I was able to start the business with a little bit of a financial cushion thanks to the equity I had in the company.

I put in about $70,000 of my own money after raising $117,000. So far, that's all the money that's been spent.

I like to go out and meet new people. Being around people makes me happy. Being in bars made me feel good. I enjoy talking to people and socializing. There were no non- alcoholic options at most bars in New York at the time. I'm not a beer drinker, but if there was, it was non- alcoholic beer.

I searched for non- alcoholic wine when I stopped drinking. I ordered all of them because I wanted to see if there was anything online that I could buy, but none of them tasted good. I started looking into what it took to start a wine company after I realized that their branding was weak.

I reached out to a friend of mine from college who knew the wine industry in and out and she helped me start the business, which we launched in June of this year.

I love how inclusive the "sober-curious" movement is 

People don't like the word sober. Since I reintroduced alcohol into my life, I like to think of it as moderated drinking.

I do not drink as much as I used to, but I am not completely sober. The sober-curious movement is fascinating and healthy. People are getting more options. You can still go out and have fun and still enjoy a drink, but you just do it in a more moderated way.

Everyone does it in their own way, which is cool. People are taking a break from drinking. I don't like to drink during the week. There are many ways you can be involved in that movement.

Now I live in Manhattan Beach, a laid-back coastal community near LA 

I don't know how much my life has changed since I left New York. The weather is nice. The sun is shining every day. I couldn't do things in New York because I got a dog while I was here. I start my workday by taking my dog for a walk and grabbing a coffee. I walk on the beach when I'm stressed out. I support a healthy lifestyle because there's so much more here.

In New York, the social scene is more activity oriented. The capital of beach volleyball is here. People play golf, go to the beach, and take walks. Just sitting outdoors. It doesn't make sense that people are getting wasted all the time if you are having a drink.

Spending is similar to New York. It is not cheap to live in this area. I feel like I get more for my money, even though this wasn't a move to get a cheaper lifestyle. It's the same amount of rent as I was paying in New York, but I have a washer and dryer in-unit, and there are three pools in the complex. I have a vehicle.

I think there are a few things that make life easier. I lived in a walk-up in New York that only had a closet. I couldn't close the door in my bedroom because the bed was sticking out. There were animals all around. The quality of life has gone up a lot for me.

There are certain things I miss about New York

Coffee shops that are open all the time and the convenience of being able to get food in New York are things I miss about the city.

The city has an incredible energy. The lifestyle I'm currently living is better for my mental health. I don't like the idea of living in New York again.

A lot of people can handle it in their twenties. Your priorities change as you get older. They did for me. I didn't want to be on that treadmill in the way that New York requires you to be, that's what I realized.

Business Insider has an article on it.