Read This If You’re Unsure About Moving Out Of Your Hometown

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I get it. There’s no place in the world quite like your hometown, and this is the only place you’ve ever really lived. But now, for whatever reason, you’re contemplating whether or not you should leave.

Maybe the circumstances are good. You’ve gotten a job offer, or your application for admission has been accepted by an excellent school. Perhaps you’re chasing a dream that just can’t be achieved from where you are right now. Maybe you just have a feeling there’s something more to life out there, and you’re ready for a change.

Then again, maybe the circumstances aren’t so good. Maybe you need an escape from a toxic situation at home. Maybe you’ve felt like a fish out of water your whole life. You’ve been surrounded by the same thoughts and beliefs and ideas for years. Nothing’s changed, and it still doesn’t feel like the right fit. Maybe you just don’t belong here.

You know the risks. What if it doesn’t work out? Who will I trust in a place where I don’t know anyone? How will I survive?

Close your eyes. Breathe. Calm your racing heart. Let’s think about this.

There must be something about where you are that just isn’t satisfying you. Otherwise, you wouldn’t feel the need to leave.

What is that? If what you’re missing isn’t available where you are right now, will you find it in this new place?

You don’t have to know the answer. It’s okay to be uncertain. In fact, uncertainty is key. Uncertainty means uncomfortable. Uncomfortable is an opportunity to grow.

The list of things you need to be sure of is small. The most important of these is yourself. You might have a network of support, and you might not. Networks lighten burdens, but they do not eliminate them. Everything falls back on you. How will you ensure your own best interest?

Changing your location won’t save you, but it can teach you. Listen to what it has to say.

Realize that the only home you’ll ever really have or need is within yourself. Get comfortable, and stay that way. Move yourself wherever you need to be.