You know the moment; that “God, I cannot wait to get out of here” moment. You roll your eyes and stomp to your room, muttering under your breath, and slam your door closed. You feel like you’ve been waiting forever for the day that you’re free from the rules of living under your parents’ roof. And then before you know it, that day arrives. You pack the last of your things and you move into your dorm/apartment/house, and you start a brand new chapter. It doesn’t take very long for you to notice the things that happen around you (and within you) when you leave the nest.
1. You quickly realize that living on your own is expensive.
While you’re living with your parents, budgeting your money isn’t usually a priority. So it’s no surprise that the first wave of bills that you receive as a “responsible adult” might come as a bit of a shock to you. Rent, utilities, car insurance (and possibly a payment), cell phone bill, and those are just the basics. Once you factor in travel expenses and groceries, you feel like you might as well have lit that paycheck on fire and watched it burn. However, managing your money gets easier with time. It might take a little bit of struggling, but you learn that it is possible to stick to a budget, and it makes life less stressful, too.
2. You develop a newfound respect and admiration for your parents.
They literally did anything. Somehow they managed to pay the bills, keep food on the table, and raise you (and your siblings, if you have siblings). Sure, they must have struggled a little bit along the way. But they always fought their way through it and managed to keep everything together, most likely for the sake of their child/children. You really begin to see how their support and strength was a factor in becoming who you are today, and it makes you feel like you owe them the world. And you’ll give it to them when you make it big someday; but for now, just call them or visit every once in a while, for them, that’s just as great.
3. You notice that your siblings look and act older every time you see them.
Your baby brother (who is definitely not a baby anymore) decides that now is the perfect time to have a growth spurt, and you know that it’s only a matter of time before he’s going to tower over you. He used to be the little boy with the big blue eyes who ran around in his Spider Man costume, idolized Captain Jack Sparrow, and followed you around everywhere you went and tried to do everything you would do. Now, he’s the pre-teen with a girlfriend who is too cool to hug his sister in public and is beginning to develop his own thoughts and opinions about things he wouldn’t have cared about just a few years ago. You know that he’s just as eager to grow up as you once were, and you wish you could tell him to slow down (because duh, growing up is a trap).
4. You call your parents a lot. Especially your mom, especially when you’re cooking.
Unless you are a natural born chef (which I, personally, am not), you will probably have your mom on speaker while you try to speed-thaw chicken that you forgot to move from the freezer to the fridge. She’ll probably laugh at you, but not so deep down, she’s thanking the gods that you’re not eating frozen meals every night.
5. You enjoy your freedom, but you learn that it is possible (and very easy) to abuse it.
If you want to stay out all night with your friends even though you know you have a big test the next morning, you can choose to do so without having to answer to anybody when you get home. If you stay up until 3 o'clock in the morning binge-watching your favorite show on Netflix, you don’t have to worry about anyone telling you that you should be in bed because you have to get up early for work. However, you have to live with the consequences that may arise as a result. This is one of those “live and learn” things. Eventually, you learn your own boundaries and you do what is necessary to keep your school and work performance up to par. This may take longer for some people to wrap their heads around than others, but eventually, everyone learns.
6. You grow even more as a person.
The lessons you learn from the experiences of living on your own are major stepping stones for your future. The things you discover in the first few months of having your own place exceeds what you could have learned if you had stayed at home for the rest of your life. You feel independent, and that feels good. You know that you are capable of taking care of yourself, and that makes you confident as you look forward to what is to come.
