Day 2 Part 2
Moving out of your parents' home and living on your own is something that I feel isn't talked about much. Making a home for yourself can be so challenging because before, everything was most likely always very planned out for you, but now you need to figure everything out for yourself all on your own.
For instance, I have trouble organizing supplies in a way where it is the most efficient for my every-day life. I feel as if this was just always something done for me before when I lived with my parents.
Everyone has different experiences but I'm sure in general most people can relate to some degree. Another example is organizing kitchen supplies or food. I've noticed that more often than not, J or I get some new kitchen device and just throw it in a drawer or cupboard without much thought about if it's actually a beneficial place for it or even whether or not we'll be able to find it again in the future.
These are, of course, very small mundane things about living alone but there are larger tasks that take a toll on you at some point, too. I know that when I first moved out into my own apartment, I dreaded grocery shopping. And it was even worse if it was mid-winter. I'd have to go out in the cold, half the time it was already pitch-black outside, I'd have to lug all the groceries into my little basement apartment while simultaneously keeping an eye on my surroundings, so I don't get kidnapped! It felt like the most stressful experience every time that I just wanted to avoid doing it.
This impacted me so much that I just started never wanting to try to find food for meals I could cook and enjoy and instead I opted for buying easily transportable food at the store, eating out, or just not eating at all. It impacted even just how I viewed food because for my brain, getting food was the most treacherous task imaginable. And it can become so challenging when things like that begin to define your entire existence because they really leave a lasting impact.
Just today, I had a conversation with my coworker about living alone versus with parents or a partner, etc. and we both agreed it's so much "nicer" to live with someone. Everyone is different but I'm so grateful that I do have the opportunity to live with someone now who I can do things with that help me overcome small fears that turn into big problems.
Now, J and I always grocery shop together. We have started going to the gym together. We take walks together. We clean together. We cook together or for each other. It's so appreciated and not because I want to be a codependent person, but instead because it allows for yourself to lean on someone just enough, so you gain more of your own motivation. Instead of allowing a small problem like grocery shopping alone to begin defining your whole life, you're able to look to someone and express your stress (or maybe not even talk about it at all) and then, do it together.
I guess I just think that moving out and its challenges that may not be foreseen should be more of a transparent topic because I know it was a surprise for me.
To be fair, I also have anxiety in certain very specific aspects of my life that many people can probably not relate to, so it truly is a unique experience for everyone. But as the saying goes, Adulting is Hard.