I’ve said it many times, written many times and thought it even more times. I am a firm believer that in order to grow as people we need to continue to push ourselves past our comfort zones. We need to make a physical effort to push ourselves mentally, spiritually and physical in all aspects of life. If we don’t, we will grow stale of boredom and unfulfilled desire. Now, this pushing of boundaries obviously varies per person. For me, most recently it was leaving my beloved life in Minneapolis to fulfill the never ending search for happiness and love. My move to Seattle was not and is not an easy task. There isn’t a day where I question if I’m in the right spot. Not a day goes by that I don’t miss my family or miss my MN friends. There isn’t day that I don’t wonder about my old job and all my old students. Yes, the ups and downs of leaving and living on your own are definitely plentiful but when there are more ups than downs I would consider it a win.

There are lessons to be learned at every corner of our life. Some are more apparent than others but I’ve definitely started to rack up quite the list of life lessons from my move to Seattle. Some of these lessons are smaller than others but all, nonetheless, important to my growing as an individual and human.

1. Not all your friends will still be there. OUCH. This was probably the one that has hit me the hardest. The sad truth of the matter is, when you move away not all your friends are going to stay connected. Not because it’s his fault or her fault or your fault or their fault, but because that’s just how life is. It’s sad but I’ll be the first to admit, I’ve already lost a few friends for whatever reason because of the move. You definitely find out which friends were meant to stick with you in the long run. Really appreciate those friends and never take them for granted.
2. That being said, I think it’s important to realize that friendship; true, genuine, love each other through everything friendship is rare and special. I think making friends is hard. Especially once you are out of school and into the “real world.” Friendships, like relationships, take time to build. They work on trust and a mutual respect for each other. It’s not fair to expect to move and find a rock solid friendship from the get go. But, it’s important to find those relationships worth building- take what you can from them and help them to grow yourself and the other person.
3. No matter how far away you are or how old you are, you’re never too old for a phone call from Mom and Dad (Step Mom and Step Dad, too). These are secretly my favorite. My dad thinks he annoys me every time he calls but I actually love it. The older I get, the more I want to be around my parents, talk to them, learn from them and just hang out with them. They’ll always be the people I am most excited to see and always the ones who keep me grounded like no one else can.
4. Time Zones are hard. Like, actually I might hate them. The only plus I can see in them is when I wake up at 6am I have people to talk to. And, one of my best friends (who lives in Florida) is awake around the same time I am finally so we can have actual phone conversations. Other than that, I find them lonely and a little lame. I’m always behind everyone else and causes problems for phone dates.. Oh well
5. You’ll learn even more about independence. Not that you weren’t a wonderfully independent woman before but now, you are on your own. I mean really on your own. You better figure out fast how to get those tires rotated, how to find a good dentist and how cook your own rice. For the most part I think I’ve been adapting and finding my way but sometimes, like when I’m sick, I just wish I could go cuddle up with the pups and wait for someone to bring me soup, ha.
6. Beware of parking tickets and the police. Be sure to always know the traffic laws and parking rules. Just because everyone parks on both sides of the streets, facing any direction they want does NOT mean that it is legal. But, if you happen to find yourself with a parking ticket, smile and explain to the judge; more times than not, they’ll be understanding if you have a good enough reason.
7. Take the time to explore your new city or your new surroundings. New places are so exciting! When everything is new to you, everything is exciting and everything has the opportunity to turn into something great. Obviously, don’t over do it, but definitely enjoy yourself. Go out to bars, restaurants, look up new hikes, and explore things that are both “touristy” and “local.” I think its’ important to get the best of both worlds to truly understand a city and love it for what it is.
8. Learning to budget, and learning how to do it quickly is a great life skill that you must do. Being you and broke, it’s literally the only way you are going to survive. Unless you don’t mind being in endless debt to credit cards and to others. Figure that s*&% out immediately if not sooner.
9. You can always, always, always go home. And that my friends, is the best part about leaving. Knowing that home will always be there, welcoming you in with open arms whenever you feel like heading back that way.

I’ve been all about lists lately. Probably because my mind cannot stay focused long enough to write full posts on a single subject matter but nonetheless, it’s something. I’ve got an exciting next few weeks coming up. I can’t wait to share more. xo