You do not truly learn about yourself until you are surviving alone.
This year I moved away from home to a city where I knew absolutely no one. Thinking back, I don't understand why I wanted to do this considering how close I am to my family and friends in my home town. But there was part of me that wanted a clean slate. I wanted growth and I wanted to figure things out on my own. And boy did I grow.
Leaving home was definitely an experience. It strained all of my relationships and I managed to forget all of the things I thought I knew about my self too. I lost myself the first year on my own. So here's some tips so you don't make the same mistakes I did.
Bring down your ego, from a ten to a two. As I entered adulthood I felt like I was educated enough about the world around me. Like I said on another page, my family talks my ear off about life. Because of that, I thought I was more prepared than everyone around me and I honestly felt like I had been through enough to know how to be on my own. Moving away was a slap in the face. You never really understand how much you don't know until your parents aren't down the hall anymore. So remember that you don't know everything and you never will. There is so much more to learn.
Close your mouth, open your mind. It is okay to be wrong sometimes. The best thing you can do is own up to it. As I took on the challenge of having a long distance relationship with my boyfriend, he turned out to be the first person to put a mirror in front of me. I was so used to him telling me my strengths, I was caught off guard when he revealed my weaknesses. He explained that I have trouble apologizing, owning up to things, and seeing where I'm wrong. Of course I was mad at first which just showed me that he was even more right. He wont always be right about me (lol), but neither will I. I soon realized that this is what I have these special people in my life for. You will not grow unless you give people the opportunity to be brutally honest with you. Build relationships and friendships with people full of love and honesty. These will be the ones that help you be a better you.
Know that things can end in a disaster, do it anyways. Take risks. Try not to end up in the hospital but do things that you usually wouldn't do. Meet people that have nothing in common with you. Make as many friends as possible. What ever you do, go OUT. I can thank a new college friend for showing me that waiting in line for 6 hours to see my favorite artist IS worth it. And I can also thank another for learning that you should not smoke weed with an empty and dehydrated body, haha. Because you will faint and I will have a mental breakdown for thinking you are dying. But hey, things like this make for a hilarious story. So be spontaneous. Make memories.
Lo and Lex, friends, your younger sisters, older sisters, and you.. Always be open to growth. You'll always have so much more to learn about yourself.
xoxo, Ari
Bring down your ego, from a ten to a two. As I entered adulthood I felt like I was educated enough about the world around me. Like I said on another page, my family talks my ear off about life. Because of that, I thought I was more prepared than everyone around me and I honestly felt like I had been through enough to know how to be on my own. Moving away was a slap in the face. You never really understand how much you don't know until your parents aren't down the hall anymore. So remember that you don't know everything and you never will. There is so much more to learn.
Close your mouth, open your mind. It is okay to be wrong sometimes. The best thing you can do is own up to it. As I took on the challenge of having a long distance relationship with my boyfriend, he turned out to be the first person to put a mirror in front of me. I was so used to him telling me my strengths, I was caught off guard when he revealed my weaknesses. He explained that I have trouble apologizing, owning up to things, and seeing where I'm wrong. Of course I was mad at first which just showed me that he was even more right. He wont always be right about me (lol), but neither will I. I soon realized that this is what I have these special people in my life for. You will not grow unless you give people the opportunity to be brutally honest with you. Build relationships and friendships with people full of love and honesty. These will be the ones that help you be a better you.
Know that things can end in a disaster, do it anyways. Take risks. Try not to end up in the hospital but do things that you usually wouldn't do. Meet people that have nothing in common with you. Make as many friends as possible. What ever you do, go OUT. I can thank a new college friend for showing me that waiting in line for 6 hours to see my favorite artist IS worth it. And I can also thank another for learning that you should not smoke weed with an empty and dehydrated body, haha. Because you will faint and I will have a mental breakdown for thinking you are dying. But hey, things like this make for a hilarious story. So be spontaneous. Make memories.
Lo and Lex, friends, your younger sisters, older sisters, and you.. Always be open to growth. You'll always have so much more to learn about yourself.
xoxo, Ari
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