Throw It Back | 5 Reasons Why You Should Get Out of Town

Ahhhh. Houston. Texas.

I remember it like it was yesterday. I received the call that every college graduate dreams about. I was offered a job in Houston, Texas and I couldn't have been more eager or excited to embark on a new journey outside of Tennessee. I remember posting the above picture on Instagram just a few days before of my big move and I was SO READY TO GO.

I was ready to be an adult. Ready to see what it was really like to live on my own. Ready for any and everything that came my way! I was also nervous, skeptical, and feeling like I would immediately get homesick and not want to stay. Would I meet people who liked me? There was a chance I would go down there and be a loner! None of that mattered to me. I wanted to make this move for me so that I could get to know who Jamaria really is and who she was going to become.

Although I am still figuring out all of who I am and I ultimately ended up moving back home to Tennessee, I wouldn't trade my year in Houston for anything. In fact, I would still probably be there, but my husband had better opportunities back in Nashville so we came home. I really think it is important for every young adult to move away from home at least one time in their lives. In this case, I'm not counting leaving home for college because technically your parents still support you in some capacity when you're in school. I am talking about real life. Moving to another state. Having your own place and bills and your mom isn't there to pick up the pieces when you have a bad day.

I have come up with a couple of my own opinionated reasons why, so I will share them with you now. Again, everything on this blog is "Through Jam's Eyes", meaning solely my own opinion. Nevertheless, if you happen to agree with me, that's even better! :)

HERE WE GO!

Five Reasons Why You Should Get Out of Town!

1. You Get to Know Yourself Better: It's so simple! You have the freedom to discover who you truly are, what you like and don't like, how you want to live without the influence of family and friends. You know how easy it is to get opinions swayed and if you're living at home, more than likely you'll have to live by your parents rules. Get to know what you want!

2. You'll Become More Self-Reliant: If you leave your hometown and go somewhere where you really don't know many people, it will force you to fend for yourself. The best part about being a child is always having someone to get you out of trouble or just someone there to help you. We don't have that luxury in the real world. If you're hungry, mom won't cook for you. I hated this part of my journey and I'm still working on it, but I am very independent now. Especially compared to how I used to be!

3. You Can Build a New Identity: There is no better way to start fresh than to move to a new city. The people there don't know ANYTHING about you! They don't know what you looked like in middle school or who you used to date or who your parents are. This is your chance to build a new brand for yourself with people who won't shouldn't judge you. I'm not saying lie about your past or anything, but if you don't want to talk about it, then don't!

4. You'll Learn How to Adapt and Cope With "Adult Stuff": The one thing I have learned since being on my own is that everything will not go my way. Just because I am being super optimistic doesn't mean the things I want to happen will happen. As you grow older, you'll experience adult problems; bills piling up, losing friends you've had forever, relationships ending, losing or changing jobs. This is completely normal "ADULT STUFF" and until you've established a certain level of maturity and flexibility, these things will be very hard for you to deal with. It is STILL hard for me to deal with things not going my way, but I'm learning.

5. You Will See the Good and the Bad in your Hometown: Moving to a new state will have you comparing things to where you previously lived. You may come to find out that your hometown isn't so perfect after all and you might just really love Iowa (why not?!)! Like, I really loved Houston because it was ALWAYS something to do and I find myself bored a lot in Nashville. On the flip side, I love the smaller city feel Nashville has because Houston was SO BIG! Moving away helps you think of the places you want to settle down in and raise a family and sometimes it might not be your hometown.

So there you have it folks! These are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to benefits of moving away. I hope to move again before we start a family, but if that's not in God's plan for my husband and I, I'm okay with that!

Thank you for reading! XOXO