A few tips for anyone moving to a new place, so that you don’t make the same mistakes that I did.

1. Go out.

Check out your new town, city, state, country. Isolation, while it may seem to be a good idea, is definitely not the right way to go. You're just cutting yourself off from new opportunities and potential friends. You'll also end up eating your feelings and boredom and in end up gaining like twenty pounds. No one wants that.

2. Keep in touch with your old friends, but don’t cling to them.

It's perfectly ok to stay in contact with your friends, but don’t use them as a way to keep people at arm's length. You have to move on, and hanging on to your past is not a healthy way to live your life.

3. Try and get in touch with your community.

This way you can make new acquaintances outside of school and/or work. Sometimes you could find out that your new best friend actually lives down the street, but you would never have met if it wasn’t for the both of you hadn't met at the local blood drive.

It's always a scary and confusing time when you go somewhere new. What's really important is that you don’t lose yourself. Even though it might feel like the world is ending and your life is going up in flames, remember that there is a whole new adventure waiting for you to start. Don’t make yourself miserable, make the most out of what you can. Go out, have fun, make new friends, become active in your community. Don’t gain twenty pounds in three months because you stayed at home and barely left the house, and hated the world for ruining your life.