Moving away from home is no easy task. To describe my experience in one sentence I would say:
"It had its ups and downs".
In August of 2014 I moved away from home to go to a college or university as some call it. As much as I loved being away from home, in a new environment and chapter of my life, I was going through a lot of changes and dealing with an unknown. And that was really hard to deal with especially because I'm the kind of person that likes to have a plan and know what's going on. Some things changed and some just stayed the same. With that said, I gained a lot of experiences that I would like to share with you all.

I Gained My Independence

After coming back from Winter break I knew that I had to get a job because I spent all my money on Christmas gifts. I applied to as many places as I could and my friend I went driving around dropping off applications and meeting managers. A few days later I got a call back for an interview. I had 2 interviews, 1 group and 1 individual. I eventually got the job and started working. Because I was making my own hard-earned money I was able to do and buy the things I wanted. I also stopped having to worry about money and what-not. It was great!

Relationships Changed

Once I left my hometown, it became harder to keep up with the people that were still there and the people who left too. Some of the people I called best friends were no longer my best friends, but more like close friends or friends from home. I hung out with them less. Even during the breaks. At first, we were all trying to stay in touch through text messages and FaceTime calls, but it still wasn't enough. Other friends became strangers. Its apart of the process of leaving. When you leave your hometown, you're not just leaving your home but everyone there as well. And that's not necessarily a bad thing.

I Overcame my Fears

When I went away for school, I was the only one from my high school to go to that school and I still am ironically. But that just meant that I got a clean slate. I could be anyone or anything I wanted. I was able to do the things I wasn't able to do in high school. Whether that be dancing in a huge crowd, doing an open mic night, or joining an anime club. It was great to be able to experience freedom from judgement. I mean, I'm sure some people did judge but they didn't know me and that gave them and myself an opportunity to try new things and meet new people.

I Became Better at the Game of Life

I'm not talking about the actual game "Life" but more like real life; the day to day things. You could say that as you get older you become better at life. And I would agree. You definitely don't have to move away from home to get better at living life. This is just something that helped me and made a change in my life. I've learned a lot from the last year and it definitely made me value the little things that I had at home such as free home-cooked meals, hanging out with family, and being able to laze around the house and no one expects anything of you. Now when I say better I mean things like: I learned how to make appointments by myself and do my own grocery shopping. I would consider these to be the hardest thing about being an adult. I just overall learned how to be an adult and play the game of life. (Again, not the actual game of Life *haha).

There are plenty of other things but I don't want to bore you with a long list of other things I would consider minor. But one thing I hope you take from this post is that everyone's journey in life is going to be different. I might have enjoyed my time away from home, but that doesn't mean that you or someone else will. It comes with experience and adventure.

Also, I would love to hear how moving away from home changed your life. Whether negative or positive, all stories are appreciated!