What an adventure! You are either making the decision to move away from home, or you have already packed your bags and gone. Such an exciting time of life! You may have a new job opportunity, are heading off to school, or just taking this time of life to discover where you would like to end up. Whatever the reason, moving away from home, family and
friends can feel so exciting yet overwhelming at the same time.

My husband and I moved away from home right in the middle of the COVID-19 Pandemic. We had just graduated from college and decided to move a state away from home for a job opportunity. Moving out of state felt like new territory for us. Most of our immediate and extended family were still living in our home state. Why would we want to step out of our comfort zone and move away from our support system? How would this impact us?

When making this big decision, there is much to consider. I encourage you to play the movie forward and ask yourself these questions: How will this impact your career? Will this be a good place to start or raise your own family? How will his affect your current relationships with family and friends? Who can you go to for support and advice? Will this change be long term or short term? Ponder these questions with your spouse and do your best to picture life in this new place.

To be honest, this first year living away from home has come with its hardships as we’ve experienced many expected, and unexpected, stressors. Some of these included the difficulty of keeping in touch with family and friends, making new meaningful friendships, missing major family events and feeling guilty about it, experiencing loneliness, and
more.

If you have experienced any of these challenges or feelings, please know you are not alone. The greatest thing about going through difficult experiences is that we will always come out stronger. Grow through what you go through and these experiences will become major building blocks and sacred memories in your life journey as a family.

Now that my husband and I have been away from family for over a year now, we have learned and experienced so much.

Here are some tips that I have helped us make the most of our experience in our home away from hometown. 

Stay Connected to Family & Friends

Social media and technology is a blessing when living away from family and friends. FaceTime, Skype, or Zoom make for great real-time conversations. Other ways to keep in touch might include sending pictures of things that remind you of the other person, calling or texting when they pop into your mind, or staying up to date on their social media posts. To make things more personal or intimate, plan a virtual “girls night out” and grab nail polish and ice cream. You could also try a new recipe with your family member or friend by gathering all the same ingredients and doing it together over video or phone. Any interaction, big or small, will help you stay connected to family and friends. See it as an adventure.
You are likely in a new city, so its time to act like a tourist! Search Google & Pinterest to find all the unique attractions in your area. I’ve enjoyed trying new restaurants, getting dressed up and going downtown, exploring new hikes or walking paths, and more. Try making a bucket list of all the adventures you’d like to have. Whether this move is short or
long term, its never too late or too early to have fun!

Find the Positives and Practice Gratitude

When you are missing home, try to focus on the positives. This might include things like experiencing new seasons, trees, flowers or animals. You might also have more time for self care, quality time with your spouse, or the discovery a new hobby. Show gratitude for your experience by talking with your spouse or writing in your journal the simple yet incredible things that have come into your life because of your move.

Find Things to Look Forward to 

Plan a day trip, book flight to visit your family, or make a plan to cross an item off your bucket list. Ask your friends or family members to visit you, plan a special meal or date night with your spouse, or buy an event or concert ticket. Having something to look forward to can help you get through the hard days.

Create and Build your own Community

The community you create for yourself can have a big impact on your experience. Your community can consist of anyone or anything, so try not to limit yourself to your neighbors or coworkers. Use your hobbies or discover new ones to meet new people. This might look like attending work out classes (yoga, high-fit, rock climbing, boxing, etc). Community sports are another way to make friends. Search for teams or pick-up sports on your community Facebook page or social media tags. Common or easy to learn/join sports might include pickle ball, volleyball, softball, or kickball. Attending church, cooking or painting classes, or planned events in your community are other ways to meet more people. Remember, there are many other people like you who are seeking to build their community as well. 

Even with its unique challenges, moving away from home can be an exciting adventure. Enjoy this time of life and make memories you’ll never forget.