It happens to everyone at one point or another; we grow up and move away. Maybe you’re path has you going to school, pursuing your dreams, or some other amazing adventure.
Whatever has taken you away, whether temporarily or permanently, these are the things you’ll know all too well:
1. Missing your loved ones never gets easier.
Some days will be great and you’ll feel like you’re okay, but then something will make your heart ache to be with them again. It may be something as simple as a smell or a sound that leaves you feeling a little empty inside. You may even question your decision to move away. It never really gets easier, but you learn to live with missing them.
2. One of the best and worst feelings is being on your own.
For obvious reason, that sense of independence is amazing. You feel like you have everything together and you’re crushing the #adulting game. Other times it can be beyond overwhelming knowing that mom or dad can’t make the tough decisions for you anymore.
3. You’ll miss what you came to know so well.
There are days you’ll miss all that was familiar; local coffee shops, your favorite restaurant, the local hangouts… The unknown can be scary and daunting, especially when all you want is something known. But, just like you had to learn in your home, you’ll learn them in this new place your in.
4. It’s easy to grow apart and lose touch.
They say that moving away from home shows you who your true friends are. This could not be truer! It’s easy for people to say that they can’t wait to come visit you, but your true friends are the ones who follow through. There’s nothing like distance to show you who really has your back.
5. You become more secure in yourself and your abilities.
This may be a hard one to learn, but it does eventually happen. Sometimes all it takes is a little nudge, but other times you may have to crash and burn. You’ll grow to trust your gut instinct without second guessing it.
6. Managing money can be as easy or as hard as you make it.
I think we’ve all found ourselves in that place where we eat Ramen or mac and cheese for weeks on end because that’s all we can afford. Budgeting becomes even more real when you’re out in this wide and wild world hundreds of miles away from home. Some people are naturally good at this, while others need to learn by trial and error. No shame in the game though.
7. Cliché as it sounds; you’ll always find your way back to your roots in the end.
No matter how much or how little things in your life change, you will always be left with who you are at your core. Your home and the people in your village have helped shaped who you are today. While it’s always easy to miss what we can’t have immediately, there’s a sense of comfort in knowing that it’s never really that far away.