7 Thoughts Everyone Has When Leaving Their Hometown For Good

1. Why do I have so much stuff?!?

I never realised how much junk I owned until it came time to clear out a house full of items. I sold some, I gave some away, and I took a lot of it to the rubbish centre, all in all it took about 3 months to do this. I remember going through my wardrobe three times before moving, I decided that I would come over with one suitcase full of clothing, after the first clean out I thought I had done well, half of my clothing was now at a second hand store and I was convinced that I had thrown away all I could. Boy, was I wrong. The time came to begin packing some stuff and I quickly realised that I had about twice as much stuff as I should have, cue second wardrobe clean out. This time I was ruthless, anything I hadn’t worn in the last year was thrown; anything I couldn’t imagine wearing within the next year was thrown, by the end of it I was nearly in tears on my bedroom floor. It wasn’t the end. Although I could now fit everything in my suitcase I decided that I was going to throw more stuff out. Why? Because I was starting fresh, I didn’t want that warm, snuggly hoodie that I’d owned for five years anymore, I didn’t need it. And hence came my final clean out. All in all, I threw away enough clothes to last a life time, and the best part is I haven’t replaced them. I don’t need to, I had way too much stuff and I’ve found that living life by the basics makes everything a lot easier in the long run… even if that means I had to give away my favourite pair of heels.

2. Are they actually going to keep in contact?

The dramatic moment when I said goodbye to my faithful group of friends was as I had expected. We laughed, we cried, we made sincere promises the email and skype regularly, but in the back of my mind the whole time I questioned if I’d ever talk to them again. The answer is no. Of my 20 or so close friends from my hometown I emailed/received emails from about 10 of them for the first month, by month 3 I was in contact with about 5, and now, 12 months on, I still email one friend. I’m still friends with them all on social media, I still wish them happy birthday on Facebook, and I certainly do not blame them for the lack of contact; truth is, we live different lives now and as much as I cherish them, I no longer have anything in common with them.

3. What if I can’t make friends?

This was a big issue that often came up with the previous thought. I was seriously concerned that my new city would be full of people I couldn’t get along with and I wouldn’t meet anybody, that I’d be a social pariah. Truth is, after a month of moving I had established a nice little group of individuals I now call my friends.

4. I’m not going to have any furniture for awhile…am I okay with that?

This one probably isn’t true for a lot of people who move, but for me it was. Shipping furniture to a different country was not an economically viable option for me, so I made the decision to sell everything off. This meant that for the first two months, I slept on an air bed, and for the next six months I didn’t have a couch, dining table or television. It was great. I don’t mean that sarcastically either. I truly enjoyed living in a way that allowed me to appreciate how much I took things for granted. That being said, I was eternally grateful when I finally got to sleep on an actual bed again.

5. I can’t take my pets with me.

I had a cat, who I adored with all my heart, and a cute little fluff ball of a dog who I loved like crazy; Both of whom I had to adopt out when I made the decision to move. This was probably the hardest part of my decision, I was okay about selling all my things, I was okay with saying goodbye to my friends, I was not okay with giving up these two, who I had considered members of my family for about 7 years. I spent a long time deliberating whether I was doing the right thing in adopting them out, but when I met the woman who was taking them I realised that they would both be happy. She was a kind, elderly lady who loved animals and had a farm for them both to run around on, it was reassuring to know that they would be okay with their new life.

6. This is going to be the worst decision of my life.

No doubt this crossed my mind a few times as I was packing up. Even as I got on the plane I had a moment of self-doubt. Could I actually do this? But as soon as I arrived I knew…

7. This is going to be the best decision of my life.

… And it was. I moved somewhere new, I can explore a new city, meet new friends, and have new adventures that I could never have had in my old hometown.