It Scares Me To Leave What I've Always Known, But It Terrifies Me To Stay In My Comfort Zone
Start writing a post
Relationships

It Scares Me To Leave What I've Always Known, But It Terrifies Me To Stay In My Comfort Zone

This is one of those life-changing decisions.

472
It Scares Me To Leave What I've Always Known, But It Terrifies Me To Stay In My Comfort Zone
Hogarth de la Plante

I’ve lived on Long Island my whole life. After I was born, I was brought to a house in Brentwood where I lived for two short years, then my family moved to a neighborhood in Smithtown. In fact, the house we moved into is the house my mom grew up next to, which also means that my grandmother lives directly next door to us.

The benefit of having a small family is that it’s not hard to keep track of them all, especially when every single-family member lives on Long Island as well. The farthest family member resides in Central Islip, a mere 20-minute drive.

No one in my family has ever left the Island. Every one of them has lived here their entire lives. My mother grew up on the same exact block we live on today. My father grew up a couple blocks over from where we live today.

That scares me.

I try to picture myself living here, on Long Island, for the rest of my life like my mother, my father, like the rest of my family, and it scares me. How can I, or anyone, stay in one spot their entire life knowing there is a whole world beyond Long Island to see, to experience?

Sure, there’s vacations, and traveling is always an option, but there’s only enough time and money in someone’s life to see the world. And vacationing in a spot is always different than living there. By being on vacation, one cannot possibly experience the authenticity of the visited spot.

I’m determined to get off this island, to move, and live, and experience a life outside of Long Island, outside of the place I've resided for 23 years because I want to experience more and do more with my life than my parents did. I’ll be the first one, though. It saddens me when I think about the life my mother lived.

She could have done so much more, been so much more, but she chose to stay. She chose to look at the same place for over 50 years. It saddens me and it scares me. I shudder at the thought of my life ending up like that.

I do not want to be stuck here. I do not want to end up living life like my mother, like my parents.

This dream is so real in my head, and when I close my eyes to picture myself getting up and leaving, I can see it. It’s so close to being a reality for me, but then I open my eyes and take in my surroundings and think, my entire family, everyone that I love, everyone that I know lives within a 10 mile radius from me. How can I leave all of that behind? How can I move on knowing everyone is here? Everyone is home.

And that scares me too.

It scares me to leave, but I think it scares me more to stay.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Love Lost

Being the girl that is falling for the boy is never easy.

496
Love Lost
Pexels

You constantly text my phone telling me that you want to see me and hang out, even though we may not have sex we cuddle and that’s intimacy in its own. I’m tired of buying you food and being there for you like a girlfriend when you consistently tell me you aren't ready for a girlfriend. I am constantly feeling I’m getting slapped in the face because I’m doing all these things and getting nothing in return. Every day I feel myself liking you more which is just crazy because why would I even waste my time liking someone there isn’t a future with. I just want you to be honest with me and with yourself, tell me how you feel from your heart, stop just saying you aren’t ready. You are wasting time telling me you aren’t ready because while you are “getting ready” some guy somewhere else is telling me that he likes me and thinks I’m beautiful and wants to date me. I’m not asking for much, but I at least want exclusivity because you ask me for all these things but in return you give me nothing.

Keep Reading...Show less
Pretty Little Liars

From reading the books in eighth grade to watching the television show all throughout high school, "Pretty Little Liars"basically defined my teenage existence. I was completely and totally obsessed on all accounts. However, even though I loved the fact that the books and the show are starkly different, there are simply just some ways in which the books are much better. Let's take a look:

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

To The Girl In The Back Row

I just want you to know you are loved. You are loved so very much.

1444
To The Girl In The Back Row
Sojo.net

Recently I was blessed to be a counselor at a wonderful camp, secluded in a cornfield somewhere in Virginia. I consider myself to be a seasoned camp counselor, as I have not only been a camper for most of my life but have been privileged enough to work multiple camps with all kinds of different facilities. I have worked camps with multi-thousand dollar facilities, with zip lines, rock walls, ropes courses, and boats. I have worked at camps with amazing water sports, camps with paintball, camps with canoes and paddle boats and floating blobs or trampolines in the middle of the water. I have worked at camps with in ground pools and camps without any pools, and even some camps with go-karts. I've had problem kids, kids who refuse to listen to anything I say, kids who sneak out after lights out to meet a significant other, and kids who are every camp counselors dream.

Keep Reading...Show less
Politics

Why The United Nations Is Key For The World

"As to the U.N., things will be different after Jan. 20th"- Donald J. Trump

1822
Why The United Nations Is Key For The World
Flickr/ses7

The United Nations (UN) has been in existence since June of 1945. Since then, the world has come together to work on and solve some of the harshest problems that face the Human Race. Be it children in societal ills like Human Trafficking, natural issues like Deforestation, or issues of extreme poverty, the UN has worked together in an attempt to make it a better place for us all. It's the only organization in the history of the world to bring people together in a willing, peaceful way; a feat that not even the League of Nations could do in the Post- WWI era. Why was it that one organization failed, and the other one is still going strong, 72 years later?

Keep Reading...Show less
Rory Gilmore
Bustle

Quick-witted and insanely smart, Rory Gilmore has a track record for memorable, relevant quotes that have become a part of fans’ repertoires. With it being finals season, many of Rory’s words can be conveniently interpreted to reflect life during the last weeks of the semester. Here are some of Rory’s wisest words that explain your life during finals season.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments