Tips on moving away from home

When I graduated last year, I had so many thoughts running through my head on where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do for a job. I eventually narrowed it down to a few states and a few different career paths until taking a job in California. While I lived ten hours away from my home in college, moving across the country led to a whole new set of challenges, including no longer living on a campus and truly on my own. It’s been almost a year since I’ve made the move, and I have learned a lot of lessons along the way. Here are 5 tips to consider when you are ready to move out.

1. GO WITH YOUR GUT. I know a lot goes into deciding on where to go when you are ready to move out. One of the biggest things for me was to trust my intuition. I was looking at two states in the end–New York and California. Since I was a kid I always saw myself living in both of these states. I loved the outdoorsy vibe of northern California. It was so close to beautiful beaches and mountains, and I just felt like it would be the best environment for me to live in and stay inspired. Looking back now, I am so happy I went for it, and didn’t let the worry of how I am going to do it get in the way.
2.  HAVE AN EMERGENCY FUND. Now that I am living through a pandemic, across the country from my family, and living on my own, I can totally see why it’s important to not just live paycheck to paycheck. Learn how to budget and save up 3-6 months worth of living expenses. I learned the hard way, as I am currently trying to save during these strange times. I highly recommend reading the book and blog, The Financial Diet, as it has been my guide for all things budgeting this year.  
3. MAKE FRIENDS BEFORE THE MOVE. This might sound daunting if you don’t live nearby, but once you know where you are going to be living, try and make some connections! I joined a local community Facebook group, and it gave me a pretty quick understanding of how nice the community was where I was moving. I also was able to chat about housing and rooming situations through my community Facebook Group. 
4. ARE YOU A HOMEBODY? I think this is an important question to ask yourself just because you never want to end up moving far away when you aren’t yet comfortable leaving home and friends. I’ve come to realize I’m a bit of a weirdo for sacrificing living so far away from my friends and family. But just remember if you are on the edge of making a big move or not, you can always arrange visits, it doesn’t have to be permanent and thank god for FaceTime!
5.  LIVE SOMEWHERE YOU FEEL INSPIRED. For me, that was somewhere that had a community that focuses on the outdoors. I love how I feel like I can endlessly explore my area. I enjoy being able to travel a few hours to the shore, and only a few seconds to a lake. You can find a career just about anywhere, or even from your home (working remotely)! For me, it is extremely important to feel inspired enough to work for the lifestyle I want to live.