8 Reasons You Should Move Away From Your Hometown In Your 20s

Growing up, my days were spent roaming in a very quiet, small town in rural North Carolina. And by small, I’m talking two-stoplights-one-high-school type small. Time seemed to pass a bit slower in this neck of the woods. Everybody knew everybody, and most of my entire family tree was only a couple miles down the road. There’s no question, these childhood days were quite lovely.

But, just as with the comfort that comes along with southern home-cooking, after 20 years of this lifestyle, the everyday routines began to get a little too comfortable. While I appreciated the place and people that raised me, what I needed was change. So, after graduating college, I pushed fear aside, packed my bags, and moved to the biggest city I had always dreamed of calling home.

Yep, you guessed it: New York City.

While leaving the bubble of comfort of my hometown was no easy feat, it turned out to be the best decision of my life, which is why I would encourage anyone to take this plunge, especially in your 20s. A rollercoaster full of ups, downs, and every emotion you can think of, moving to a new place is an experience like no other. And, oh so worth it.

So, if you’re on the tightrope on whether to make the decision to move, allow me to explain eight reasons why you should lean into that pulse of curiosity and totally say yes!

1. You Will Open The Door To An Entirely New Level Of Freedom

You know how people say, “The world is your oyster”? Well, the reason they say this over and over is because it’s true! By expanding the horizon beyond your hometown, your mind will fully comprehend just how big this world is and how endless the possibilities are. All you’ll have to do is decide which path to embark down first.

2. You Will Be Forced To Step Outside Your Comfort Zone And Drastically Widen It

The beauty of moving to a new place is that you will be exposed to so much newness. From meeting new people and immersing yourself in new cultures, to tasting local cuisines and becoming accustomed to new ways of life, you will be forced to step outside your comfort zone.

While it might be easier to lean into hesitation when it comes to all these changes, challenge yourself to embrace them. In doing so, you will become much more open-minded, no matter the level of unfamiliarity, and will become a much more adaptable individual.

And over time, you won’t steer clear of change. In fact, you will most likely start to gravitate toward it and will be well on your way to becoming addicted to the exhilaration that stems from change. This happened to me, and now I can’t get enough of discovering new places and introducing myself to diverse cultures.

3. “Resourceful” Will Become Your Middle Name

Because you will be on your own for all the not-so-fun aspects of being an adult—you know, making rent, paying bills, doing laundry—you will quickly become more resourceful and more reliant on yourself.

Don’t think of this scenario as scary. Instead, think of how rewarding it will feel to be more self-reliant. When you do experience hiccups along the way, you will learn to trust yourself more with figuring out a solution, and then realize you are way more resourceful than you ever gave yourself credit for in the first place. And how can you not smile with that kind of delightful thought?

For the full list, visit The Everygirl.