I moved to Boston three years ago when I started college. I loved it. Being freshly 18, it felt like someone gave me the keys to the city when I first used my fake ID. No adult supervision, and I was left to my own devices. I made new friends, I tried countless restaurants, and I could go shopping whenever I pleased. I eventually ended up getting a job, my first and still only waitressing job. I was introduced to how much money you can make, and fast. I moved further off campus and into a more fun part of the city right before my junior year began, and the same eager anticipation filled me. It was like starting college all over again.
This year, I’ve acquired a part-time job in the field I want to go into, while balancing the restaurant a few days a week, and 6 classes. I honestly couldn’t be happier, besides the fact that I am so bored in this city, I used to be excited to explore. I’ve hit a point where I feel I’ve done everything I want to do here, explored all I want to explore, and met everyone I wanted to have met. It’s a strange feeling to have so much love for something yet feel you’ve outgrown it at the same time. I’ve found myself walking through places that used to have me in awe, and now I barely notice them. The energy that used to fill me with excitement has just become a routine, and the routine is stagnant.
So, what’s next?
I’ve been teasing my mom for years now, saying I’m going to move away after graduating from college. She says the farthest I can go is Rhode Island. But, with graduation peering down at me this spring, the thought of moving cities is starting to seem that much more enticing. I’ve caught myself scrolling through apartment listings in other cities, picturing the life I could have.
In this day of social media, I am constantly exposed to people I don’t know in other cities sharing bits and pieces of their lives. Seeing how fun these other cities seem does nothing but add to the desire to pick up everything and start over, exploring a brand-new city, and hopefully falling in love. Don’t get me wrong, Boston will always have my heart. I’ve loved it since I was a little girl, and I will always love New England sports, but I am really considering this desire within me. And if there’s any moment in my life where I should take a risk, it really feels like it should be right now.
Perhaps that’s what growing up is all about, realizing when it’s time to close the chapter and mustering up the strength to turn to a new one, even when it means leaving something precious behind. Boston raised me, taught me, and provided me with many of the most incredible years I’ll ever live. Yet I am beginning to see now that change can certainly involve leaving part of yourself behind. Maybe it only means taking those parts with you to see where you’ll fit next.