6 Things To Remember When You Move Away From Everyone Who Has Ever Loved You

1. When you feel like something is missing, remember you are complete.

You are a living, breathing being with your own life. How great? You made the decision to move and you can build yourself a life. You can take yourself to yoga, cook yourself dinner, and decide what shitty Netflix series you want to watch before bed (Shoutout to Jane the Virgin viewers). Hell, you can even choose to play hooky and go on a hike if you really want to. It may not seem like much while you’re doing it, but it’s your life and you’re totally in charge of it.

2. When your bed feels empty, remember to be patient.

Unlike the rest of the internet, I’m not saying you have to fall in love with yourself— Personally, I don’t want to be my own fucking boyfriend. There are some definite perks to take advantage of before you couple with someone… maybe forever. Scary, right? So get after it; No one is there to question the people you hang out with or judge you for eating 36 Trader Joe’s Triple Ginger Snaps in one sitting. I’m still not sure how love really works, but my mom says it happens when you’re not looking for it. In the meantime, enjoy yourself and make sure you take advantage of sleeping in the starfish position before someone tries to hog all the covers night after night.

3. When you feel distant, remember it’s okay to disconnect.

There will be times where you just can’t get ahold of your loved ones when you need them. It’s okay to freak out, throw a fit, and simply need someone. You can’t be your best friend, your lover, your family and your dog all in one. However, they shaped who you are today. You sound exactly like your mother and luckily you inherited your fast metabolism from your father so you can eat 63 ginger snaps in two days. When they don’t pick up the phone, imagine what they would say to you, then find comfort in it when they call you back the next day saying exactly what you expected.

4. When you’re exhausted, remember to focus on your wellbeing.

You’re experiencing everything for the first time. No one ever told me how draining this is. The excitement is almost monotonous in itself; You have to use google maps everywhere you go and are constantly burning energy taking in all the new sights and forming new thoughts. When it seems like too much and you just want to sit on your Grandma’s couch, think of how mundane you felt in your home town. You’ve been to every restaurant, know all of the roads, and get the most excited when a chipotle opens up even closer to where you work. You used to have to drive ten minutes for a burrito bowl. Can you believe that?

5. When you feel forgotten, remember you are still loved.

People are busy and sucked into their own day-to-day lives. So are you; that’s why you selfishly decided to pick up and leave. Hopefully no one resents you for this, especially your parents. They raised you to be a self sufficient person who fights for their dreams and makes sacrifices to pursue them. Your dog still remembers your name, mostly because your parents talk about you in front of her every day. Your support system may waiver more than you planned for, but people are kind. Your car battery will die before work and your yoga instructor will help you jump it in the middle of the road and without fail, your favorite market vendor will ask what you’re up to this weekend.

6. When you’re homesick, remember to let nostalgia come, and then let nostalgia go.

If you were meant to stay in one place, you’d be a tree and have roots… or something like that. You were never meant to be born, grow, live, and die in your hometown. Be glad you learned everything from walking to rolling a joint there, but it’s time to take those skills to a higher altitude. Climb a mountain, buy legal weed! Or don’t! Go to all of the places to find out where you belong. What street feels like home to you? Which pavement sings to the steps of your soul?

When you feel like you’ve made a huge mistake, remember you can always go back home.