Moving away from home is something that almost everybody needs to go through at some point and time in their life. Whether it is because you're going to college, or you are just becoming more independent, or any other reason, moving out is almost always going to be the same type of experience no matter what the reason.

This can be really hard on people. Moving away from home is a very very significant lifestyle change, maybe one of the biggest that someone can go through. Adjusting to taking care of yourself, buying your own groceries, cooking for yourself, and just learning to be an adult can be very stressful and usually is for anybody that goes through it. There are a lot of ways to cope with this change and a lot of ways to make it easier on yourself. This is just about what worked for me and how I dealt with the whole situation.

When I was about to move to college, I couldn't wait to get out of my hometown. I was so so excited to start my new life in Bellingham. I was going to live with my best friend in a great apartment, and just be able to feel like a real adult for the first time. Once I got here and my family left, it was the weirdest feeling. It suddenly hit me that I was all alone. I didn't know what to do with myself. My roommate wasn't there yet so I was just in this new town all by myself. I felt really lost and just confused on what to really do.

As I adjusted, the biggest thing that I realized is very important is to just find anything to do to keep yourself busy. Going on walks, running errands, working out, cooking, cleaning, etc. Anything that makes you feel like you are accomplishing something will just make you feel so much happier and more put-together. It makes you feel more like you know what you are doing even if you really have no clue.

Something else that I think is so important is to really push yourself to get out of your comfort zone. If you aren't the type to really ever go out and do things alone, moving to a new town is a great time to change that. It is hard to get yourself to do something like that but it is honestly an empowering thing and just makes you feel so independent. You need to make sure to be careful, but going out and getting coffee, or going to the store, or anything really that you wouldn't normally do alone really just makes you feel like much more of an adult.

Getting out of your comfort zone is also the best way to meet new people. If I hadn't done that when I moved here, I wouldn't have three of my best friends today. If you are ever able to do something that you aren't really sure about, just take the risk, you never know what will come out of it. They say that you meet some of your life long friends in college, and I think this is true. It is so important to put yourself out there, it makes the whole college experience just so much more enjoyable and memorable. You never get these years back, so just try your best to live them to the fullest and do everything you want to do even if it scares you; I think that is one of the best ways to make memories you'll keep forever.

There isn't just one way to deal with moving away from home in a positive way or adjust to being in a new place, but these are just some things that I think are very important regarding this subject. Becoming independent is stressful, but it is also one of the most important times in someone's life, and it is when you really find out who you are and what is important to you.