The small town you know everything about like the back of your hand is good for a period of time but not forever. You know everyone and every new piece of juicy gossip because in a small town gossip spreads like wildfire. My hometown reminds me a lot of the “telephone game”. One thing gets said about a person but by the time it gets back to the person who started it, it is a completely different story. The moment your small town gets a Walmart is the biggest thing that has happened in the past 10 years. Friday night football games are a must-see and going to the local hole in the wall diner is the best place to eat.
While knowing every back road and highway may seem great, it has just become your comfort zone. Getting out of the four walls of a small town will teach you so many things. It will show you what it means to be brave, it will make you learn to become a responsible adult and it will also show you who you really are. Moving away and starting a new beginning might seem nerve racking and even scary at times but it’s exactly what you need.
You may not think that you would learn bravery just by moving away but it is probably one of the biggest achievements you gain. Stepping out of your comfort zone into a world that you’ve not yet experienced is good. It may seem unsteady at first but that is all part of the wonderful lessons you will learn.
The first bill you pay all by yourself will make you feel like you just accomplished the world. It makes you feel as if life is finally starting to come together and you have a new beginning. Your mom or dad might not be there to make the next dentist appointment for you or to tell you to be home by 11:00 p.m. Somewhere along the way you tell yourself to do all of these things on your own, because you know if you’re not home by 11:00 p.m. then it will make for a lousy next day. Forcing yourself into that doctor’s appointment without anyone by your side might make you feel overwhelmed but it’s all part of the adventure. In the end, you will never forget that first electric bill or walking out of the dentist for the first time by yourself.
You think you know exactly who you are and how you act in different circumstances. After moving away and learning this new lifestyle, you will also see that you are changing. You will notice you react differently to a situation than you would have before you left home. You get to understand yourself among different people and cultures. You will open your mind up so much after you are introduced to all the world has to offer. Learning all of these new things about the world around you and how you react to it will forever change you.
Always get out of your comfort zone because the lessons you learn outside of it will be the ones you take with you forever. So move away and leave the four walls that you call home, make new friends, visit new places or learn about a new culture you know nothing about. Everything won’t be as easy as it was when mom and dad were there to hold your hand through the hard times. Trials and tribulations will come, but always remember God doesn’t give us what we can’t handle, God helps us handle what we are given.
