See 2 years ago I moved to Denver, Colorado. One year later I packed my bags for Baltimore, Maryland. Here I am, in my dining room, with my roommate, listening to Lady Antebellum and browsing through Pinterest. What sparked this post? This:
You see, I can write this post because I'm NOT homesick right now. Sorry Mum and Pops, I miss you with every ounce of my heart, but I'm learning everyday (one step in front of the other) how this whole moving forward thing works. You know leaving the nest and determining your own life away from home? You don't necessarily need to move 2,000+ miles away to figure out this feeling, but you definitely need to strap on some big girl boots and buy a box of Kleenex. Because I'm not feeling that homesickness punch in my stomach, I can write this with ease and hopefully help to those of you who are far away from home.
1) Remind yourself 100+ times a day why you moved. Whether it's because of a job, lack of job, weather preferences, love, or something to grow bigger balls, you went from Point A to B or Z because of ______. Now say that sentence 99 more times.
2) Know it's okay to ask for help. You're not a local or "townie," and you're not expected to know the in's or out's, the hot spots and the don't ever go there spots. Whether it's the best grocery store in town, or the best place to find ice cream, ask away.
3) When you think you've fallen hard enough, had the worst day at work, your car won't start, and you're finding yourself with $15 to your name - Call Home! Whether that's your mom, dad, brother, or best friend, they will always pick up (even with the time difference). You really find out about a different type of love and the true meaning of family when you're living in another state.
4) Make a plan and post it everywhere (that includes your bathroom mirror, your car, your office, your you name it). After you finish reminding yourself why you left, write down what your goals are in this new city. Write down what makes a place home for you, what type of friends you want to meet, what things you want to do, and again why you moved. It can be as simple as "Today I will conquer the laundromat" or as fancy as "Today I will meet one new friend and take him/her out for coffee."
And last, but not least ...
5) Don't focus on the days away from home. When I first moved (and I'm sometimes still guilty of this), I was fixated on "I've been on my own for 3 months now," and while that sometimes help when you're building up your own confidence, it really put me further behind in the long run. Thinking this way begins to take over your mind and it's ALL you can think about. Put yourself on a taller ladder and focus on the days/journey ahead. When you continue to focus on the past, you can't move forward. Try to step outside of this mindset as best as you can.
Okay, and really my last tip of advice ...
6) Home will always be there waiting for you. Don't be afraid to ask for a visit back home (you'll most likely want to go back to your new city after 3 days)! If Point B or Z doesn't work out, don't think you failed or life is over. It's not and you probably learned more about yourself during the moving and setting-in period than you'll ever know.
Remember, home is where the heart is! Make your home wherever you go. (It also doesn't hurt to thank those who helped get you there!)
When I moved from Utah to Texas I was so excited! And then once I was moved in I hated it.. I've now been here for 4 years and I'm still trying to get used to it! Home definitely is where the Heart is :)
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