Nobody really tells you how scary it is to live on your own, especially when you move from a town of a little over six thousand to a city with nearly four-hundred thousand people. The road trip alone made me nervous knowing that I wouldn’t have my support system with me. My college campus alone has a larger student body than my town and it’s surrounding areas, and believe me when I say that adjustment was more reassuring than 28 hours of traveling cross country in a car with no AC.
Being an introvert that loves spending time with my family, or super close friends doesn’t really happen when you and your friends have adulting to do. With thinking about rent and how many hours I need to work in order to still afford my college classes; not to mention the fear of having to inform my parent when I struggle and admit that I need help. There’s not a lot of space to figure out fun plans, which is ESSENTIAL to maintaining some sense of normality. Even though this Covid era beginning to become manageable (hopefully) meeting new people is nerve racking. From new friends to potential partners. The dilemma of expanding my social circle but also increasing my chances of catching Covid was a serious concern
I wish I could give simple fixes to this major change that MILLIONS of people go through. All I know from my experience is to keep trying, to keep growing and adapting.
Moving out was a FANTASTIC opportunity that I was extremely fortunate to have, it helped having a job set up BEFORE moving down. Even the reassurance that my support system was just a phone call away, and would always be willing to hear me complain. Taking the chance to meet new people actually helped my mental health greatly.
Who knew that being 20 in a big-ish city would be so exhilarating, and scary.