It’s been about 2 months since I moved out on my own.  Before moving day, I wrote about my thoughts and feelings on the matter, which you can read here.  Now that some time has passed, I figured I could provide an update!

Moving Day

Moving day was very hectic; it certainly deserves its spot as one of the top 5 most stressful life events.  Instead of hiring a professional moving company, we had a rented U-Haul truck and a couple friends helping.  And since we didn’t live on the first floor of our prior residence, the process took twice as long.  But, alas, we got through it.  Moving in didn’t take as long since I was only taking probably a quarter of the furniture we had.

The First Few Weeks

I spent my first week here unpacking boxes and organizing.  To my surprise, it took only six days to get everything unpacked and set up.  The next couple of weeks consisted of shopping for anything else I may have needed and what not.

I also had a housewarming party, which I enjoyed very much.  It was awesome to have family and friends over to celebrate a new accomplishment with me.  The vibe was positive, and it was just a good time spent with great people.

Another surprise I experienced was not missing my previous residence or town at all, and I still don’t.  I spent most of my life there, but I really just don’t miss it.  I concluded that I’ve been ready to end that chapter for a long time, and finally begin this new one.

Conclusion

Despite some feelings of loneliness that come with relocating to a new area where you don’t know anyone yet, I am enjoying it here.  I’m still exploring the area, and looking to get involved in activities that will help me meet new people.

One thing I have been struggling with is consistently sticking to a new routine.  Since I’m on my own now, it’s solely up to me to hold myself accountable for everything I want and need to get done.  It is a work in progress, but once I keep up the momentum, I know I will do well.

Thank you for reading. – TM

The time has come… Execute Order 66…

My bad, this isn’t about Star Wars 😅. Let’s try again.

After living with my mom for the entire 23 years I’ve been alive, and in the same area for almost 20 years, the time has come where I move out.

Moving is one of the most stressful times in one’s life, and I can see why.  While I myself haven’t fully processed relocating, I’ve seen how it has been affecting those close to me, including my cat.

I’ve had my cat, Gavin, for 15 years.  We adopted him when he was 1 year old, making him 16 years old now (80 years old in human years).  He’s still very active, though, and doesn’t look his age at all.  Gavin is an indoor cat; his knowledge of the outside world is nearly nonexistent.  When moving in the past, he was very stressed and unhappy being in his cage and traveling in the car.  He will be staying with my mom and her boyfriend, but regardless of who he would have been going with, I know he’ll be very stressed like usual.  Fortunately, he and my mom’s boyfriend love each other, so we’re hoping that will help soften the blow of me no longer living with him every day.

As mentioned earlier, I still haven’t fully processed moving, and the big day is less than a week away at the time of me writing this.  I think once I’m actually in my new place, and have spent the first night alone, it will hit me hard.  I will certainly miss my mom and cat.  I’m sure that not living with me everyday anymore will be the most difficult part of moving for my mom.  I think Gavin will miss me too; a few months ago, I spent about a week in New York, and my mom sent me pictures of Gavin sitting outside my bedroom door.  The good thing, though, is that I won’t be too far away, so visiting won’t be a problem.

Of the three places in my current town that I’ve lived in, I haven’t become attached to any of them.  I have, however, developed an attachment to the town itself.  As I’m sure a lot of people experience, I feel most comfortable in familiar environments.  I know my way around this town very well, so I’m thinking it will be a huge shock to my system living in another area that I’m not too familiar with yet.

Ready or not, though, the day is upon me.  Whenever I finally experience the full effect of stress caused by moving, I know that overall I am looking forward to beginning this new chapter in my life. The place I’m moving into seems very promising, so that definitely helps. 

Wish me luck! ~ TM