5 Reasons Why You Should Move Out of Your Home State
The truth is, freshman year me would’ve stayed in my home state for the rest of her life. I know….strange. Everyone always talks about how they can’t wait to leave home, but for me, it was stable, friendly, and familiar. It wasn’t until on one call after a post-exam spiral about how if I didn’t do well I wouldn’t get an internship and wouldn’t find a job (100% not true) that my dad told me, “You know there are jobs in other places, right?”
Such a simple statement changed everything. And boy, if I only knew at the time that moving out of my home state, even for a summer, would start building me into the best version of myself.
The summer between junior and senior year of college is weird. You’re stuck between excitement (and maybe nerves) for what’s to come, and grasping at the last moments of freedom before responsibility hits at the end of the next school year. Me, being the exception to the rule, loved responsibility. However, knowing how much I loved the comfort of what I knew back home, I wasn’t sure how moving 700 miles away from home would turn out. If you haven’t guessed it yet, my summer was transformative for me which is why I’m sharing 5 reasons why you should move out of your home state – even if it’s just for a short time.
Become more independent
I’m an introvert, so I’ve always thought of myself as independent, but moving to a new state pushed my boundaries even more. When you’re the only person you know in an area, it forces you to get better acquainted with yourself at first and find time to enjoy being around YOU. I found because of the time I spent just by myself, working on myself, my inner voice became more positive.
Not to mention, because I never feared being alone, I became less afraid to reach out and make plans with people I had met because worst case I’d spend the day with myself and that didn’t sound like a bad plan.
Focus on what’s important to you
Something that I underestimated when I started working is how much time there is when the work day is over (for a single-person household at least). Luckily for me, I worked for a company that heavily emphasizes work-life balance which meant that most of my days started with me heading into the office by 8:30 am and leaving around 4 pm.
From the hours of 4 pm to 11 pm I was free to focus on whatever made me happy because when I left work I didn’t have emails to check or presentations to complete. It was during that block of time that I found exercise plans that made me excited to work out, meals that were yummy and healthy for my body, books that made me smile, and shows that enticed me.
This was incredibly eye-opening given that during the school year I spent most of my “free time” studying, working, preparing for practices, and trying to find snacks that could maybe count as a meal. And sure, these new routines are things I could do at home too, but the new environment and time forced me to be more of an active participant in my life. At home, I was always comfortable enough to be okay with being bored.
Have new experiences
The truth about being in a new place is that there’s so much more to explore. On the East Coast, I happened to be a short train ride away from a few different cities which made for fun day trips with fellow interns.
Being around new people with different interests in a new place allowed me to branch out and welcome new experiences with open arms. I had never even walked into the art museum on my own college campus, yet I was exploring and admiring art at the MET. It’s funny how the people you surround yourself with and your access to different experiences will help you develop interests you didn’t realize you had.
Meet new people
Even the most introverted people like to have social interaction at some point. Having an internship/job in a new city is the easiest way to have a built in community when arriving to your new home, but even without a set plan, one of the best parts about moving away is the people you meet.
For 18 years I lived in the same place, went to school with the same people, and was surrounded by the same thoughts. When I think of it that way, I’ve only had 4 years of true self-discovery.
SImple growth blog
For 18 years I lived in the same place, went to school with the same people, and was surrounded by the same thoughts. When I think of it that way, I’ve only had 4 years of true self-discovery. Meeting new people might be exactly what you need to grow and explore the parts of yourself that you might not have had the chance to yet.
Discover your likes/dislikes/passions
As I mentioned before, there’s a LOT of downtime in the early stages of adulthood that I didn’t have during school. This frees some time up for you to try things that you’re passionate about if it’s not something you already do at your day job.
Having more time to myself allowed me to better understand my likes and dislikes. Whether it’s that I really like happy hours with coworkers, or that I’m not a huge fan of rock sand beaches, there was lots to learn when I had extra time. And if you have the means to work on a hidden passion, well now’s the perfect time to get started :).
The unknown is never the most comforting place, but at the other end of nerve-wracking experiences can be the start of something exciting. If you’re worried about leaving behind what you’ve always known, consider some of these reasons why you should try…even if it’s only for a short time.
