You just achieved one of the biggest accomplishments thus far in your life and now you are wondering what to do next…
Graduating from high school or college is a huge accomplishment and only means there are bigger things to come in your future.
You always see people on social media moving to L.A. or taking a gap year and traveling across Europe and making it look so easy!!!
You ask yourself, How do you become THAT person? Where do you start? How do you prepare? How much does it cost? Where do I want to live? Will I have a job? Do I want a roommate or live by myself? Will I get homesick? How will I make friends?
Honestly, the questions could go on forever! Stepping into the unknown can be scary, nerve-racking and something that no one else may understand or be able to relate to (but also the biggest reward).
I know personally, I am very close to my family and to have parents that have only ever lived in Pennsylvania, it was not easy for them to understand at first.
Below is some advice to help make moving easier on everyone!
How to mentally prepare yourself & others
Chances are you may already have an idea in mind on where you would like to move, and maybe you don’t yet and that is fine too.
It is good to start visualizing yourself in a new place this gives you plenty of time to mentally prepare and begin planning the little things.
Once you have an idea of where you would like to go, be sure to research the place & area.
I can easily say that I spent hundreds of hours researching Austin before moving here but this will be different for everyone.
Personally I never even stepped foot in Texas, let alone Austin, before having the mindset that I was moving here. Everyone’s reasons for moving somewhere are going to be different.
Once you have begun your research make sure you don’t forget to read blog posts, watch YouTube videos (on the positives and negatives of living there) and maybe even start connecting with people who are in the same boat you are (Facebook always has groups for all sorts of things and maybe you can find one for “looking to move to Austin”).
Finding people who have similar aspirations and goals is not only a great way to make friends but also a great way to become more confident in your decision and know you are not alone.
While doing all the research, be sure to begin a PROs and CONs list AND my all-time favorite thing to do… create Pinterest pins!
Conducting all this research will help you to see this potential new reality that you could have for yourself.
Once you start seeing it for yourself it will be easier to talk to your friends and family about it. The more you know about the place the easier it will be to tell them that this is the right move for you and your future.
Just be prepared for tons of questions and remember that all the questions they have are because they are truly curious and care!
Preparing yourself physically
Now that you see yourself living in this new place and you know all the PROs, CONs, and reasons, you are ready for the most important step which is physically preparing yourself.
You already know this is going to take a lot of money, research, and most importantly your time.
Piece of advice: The more research you do the better off you will be in the grand scheme of things.
In this step of preparation, you will want to start by:
- Planning a trip to go visit and explore your potential new home and have the opportunity to tour apartments (I say this because you want to be 100% certain about your location before committing because being in-person can really change your perspective on things. I thought I was going to want to be downtown in the middle of it all but after visiting I realized quickly that was not the case and I liked the quieter areas)
- Begin to create a budget sheet to help you save money (just to be safe I always say at least $5,000 but I recommend having an emergency fund as well too)
- Make a moving to-do list and moving necessities list
- Create a timeline for when you want to move
- Start looking for jobs (this may have been the most difficult step for me because I put so much pressure on myself that in the end was very unnecessary and everything worked out in the end)
- Begin your search for a roommate (if you are going down that path)
- Personally my favorite step, start decluttering (cleaning a certain section of your room/apartment/house every week and donating/throwing away the things you don’t want or can’t bring will not only help you in the future but create motivation).
What to expect
I am going to start by saying that moving is not easy (or the most fun) for anyone no matter the age but I do believe that it can be a life-changing experience where you find yourself and really grow as a person.
As I mentioned multiple times so far, the more research you have done the easier you will make this whole process on yourself.
In the beginning, prepare to spend a good amount of money on the necessities. If you are anything like me, you are coming from a college apartment where plastic plates from Target were a staple and the furniture was already too used and ready for the dumpster and you need to buy EVERTHING.
Also, prepare yourself for all the IKEA and Wayfair furniture you will be building… the first thing I built I felt super accomplished but every item after that was just a time-consuming project that I just wanted to be done with.
At first, it is very normal and okay to not feel at home, it may even feel like a vacation, but it does get better and it eventually feels homier (for some reason buying pillows for the bed, plants, and kitchen decor really made my apartment feel more like home).
You arent going to have everything unpacked on the first day and maybe not in the first few weeks and that’s okay… you will also not have everything you need in your apartment bought for months and that is also OKAY!
You probably won’t make friends overnight but don’t let that scare you! I truly believe that learning to be happy alone can be someone’s biggest attribute PLUS there are so many friends “dating” apps like Bumble BFF and Facebook group chats where you can find like-minded people and individuals in the same situation as yourself!
FACETIME will be your best friend when it comes to getting homesick! Whether you realize it or not homesickness can sometimes be inevitable but with family and friends one call away it makes everything SO much easier (and honestly FaceTime really does help)!
Everything takes time to get used to. There is going to be a lot going on so just remember to relax, things will fall into place, everything happens for a reason, and if it’s meant to be it will be and as always, don’t forget to spoil yourself. Don’t feel guilty for taking care of yourself!
I hope this helps you to prepare for your big adventure in life! All your hard work is going to pay off and be worth it in the end! And most importantly don’t forget to enjoy it all!
As always, please DM me any questions or thoughts you may have on Instagram @jillian.reich
