As the one-year anniversary of my moving home from college came and went, I started to realize how vital this decision was to get myself to where I am today. I am fully aware that moving home post college is not always a possibility, but if it is for you, I highly suggest moving back to the room you so happily vacated just over four years ago.
Other than the trip to Italy and Greece that happened two days after my college graduation, I had no plans. I thought very little about what would happen after I got off the plane two weeks after graduation. Moving back home was something I had joked about with my parents, but I had not seriously thought about. I had not taken into account what it would be like to move into my childhood bedroom after the past four years of freedom.
At first, I had to seriously clean out my room as well as get rid of a lot of the things I had acquired in those years at school. (An entire apartment does not fit in one bedroom.) My teenage self had even glued pictures and magazine cutouts to the wall which made for a very difficult, but much needed removal.
After painting the former papier-mache wall white and adding some more mature wall decorations, I started to feel a little less 13 and a little more 22. At this point, I had begun calling my parents my roommates and our relationship seemed to evolve ever so slightly. My mom and I were making plans to have drinks after work or discussing what we would make for dinner that night, much the same way my college roommate and I would text.
Don’t get me wrong, there were times when all I wanted was my old apartment back and the feeling of being able to do whatever I wanted, be it cook dinner at 10 o’clock at night or go out till 2 am. But overall, I have thoroughly relished living at home because it has allowed me to save a decent amount of money that I would otherwise be using to pay for an overpriced apartment in an overpriced area.
Other than money, being at home has given me the freedom to come and go as I please. I am still able to visit my friends in the city or take off work and head to Ireland for 9 days, because I know my roommates will make sure the trash gets taken out and the fridge is full of food. These little things are chores I took for granted until I lived in an apartment at school where coming home to a fridge full of expired fruit and old milk meant having to be quite crafty.
In the past year, due to the fact that I lived at home, I was able to take time to train to run a half marathon with my dad. I saved enough money to go on a 1,200 mile road trip of Ireland and go to Mardi Gras in New Orleans. I took up yoga, as well as planted a garden. I was able to take out a loan to buy my car, and completely pay off one of my student loans. I know that if I had been on my own in a new city with the stressors of rent and bills and loans, that I would not have been able to have the time or money to do any of these things.
I commend my peers who are living in the city and paying rent and worrying about bills and who still manage to make it to Sips on Wednesday afternoon. If you can do this and you feel it is right for you, then don’t let anyone tell you otherwise! I just know that given the choice, I wouldn’t change this past year for the world.
Also, special shout out to my parents for being the best two roommates I could ever ask for.
