The hardest thing as an 18 year old is to pack up your things and go to an unfamiliar place where mom’s cooking is gone, but not forgotten, and housing isn’t free anymore. Especially in my case when I had to pack up my entire existence and move six hours away from my small town in Minnesota to the big city of Milwaukee. I dealt with every question in the book. Why are you going so far away? What’s in Milwaukee for you? You’ll rarely be able to come home, aren’t you going to hate that? It became sort of a routine for me, and I soon memorized the answers to these questions. I’m simply doing this for me. In the long run though, I knew it didn’t matter what anyone else thought or said, leaving home was the right thing for me to do. Leaving everything you have and moving across state takes a huge leap of faith, and I could not be more proud of myself. So here are a few things I learned from reaching beyond my comfort zone and seeing what I could achieve.
- Independence
Having to force myself to make new friends, attend my classes, and adjust to the unfamiliar territory really made me into the strong independent woman that I am today. It was so hard at first to feel comfortable when your mom is far away and can’t just drive over to make you feel better. I quickly learned though, that relying on my mom for everything wasn’t going to get me to where I needed to be or help me grow as an individual. I now rely on myself more than I ever thought I could, and I feel myself becoming a stronger woman because of it. I love my mom, but I love myself too. Sometimes you need to know what is best for youself, when your mom isnt there to tell you.
2. Courage
Courage is a huge thing that I have come to learn throughout my time here in Milwaukee. I now feel the need to want to always expand my horizons and become part of amazing opportunities. Exploring downtown and reading my favorite book at a coffee shop alone is a thing I thoroughly enjoying doing in my spare time. I also find the courage to talk to new people everyday and feel the need to want to stand out and be who I am. In the processes of gaining all of this courage, I now feel like I’ve become somewhat of a superwoman. I no longer fear making decisions on my own.
3. Diversity
While living in Milwaukee for 3 years now, I have been impacted and influenced by so much diversity. Back home, I grew up in a small town where it was predominately white and my graduating class was less than 150 kids. My town never had much to offer, so moving to the big city gave me more of an opportunity to embrace and love such a diverse area. I also find myself loving the city life and all Milwaukee’s culture has to offer. My adventure side often cannot be tamed, and experiencing living in a different place has helped me become more in touch with myself.
4. I grew up
When I packed up all of my belongings and moved far away from home, I was forced to fend for myself and ultimately grow up. I did not have the choice to go home on the weekends and spend time with my family or get much help from my parents due to the distance. I learned to take on my own responsibilities and take care of myself. Although I still always call my mom with advice, I have become more confident in the decisions that I make for myself. I feel so much more mature and find it easier to rid myself from much negativity and things that only hold me back from becoming who I am meant to be.
5. I found myself
Of all of the things I have learned and experienced throughout my time away from home, finding myself is one of the most important. As I compare myself from being an innocent and scared freshman to a strong, independent and powerful Nursing student I am today, I never would have thought I would have made it this far. I found myself loving my passion for helping others and that being my absolute self can take me to amazing places, meet amazing friends and help me experience amazing things. I soon learned my love for spending lazy days on the beach, coffee, and exploring museums and cute boutique shops in the city really became a part of who I am.