Cheers to Charleston! Cheers to 6 months in my NEW city! It’s hard to believe it, but this Thursday marks my 6 month anniversary of moving to a completely new place 1,000 miles from home. A place where I knew absolutely no one and had never even been to before… Yeah, I know, a little crazy.
I moved all by myself to intern at a company I met through Instagram. That internship turned into a job and… here I am! Looking back I’m kind of shocked that I was able to make such a HUGE transition. I’m the ‘baby of the family’ (a very close family) and I’m not usually a big risk-taker. I really didn’t know what I was getting myself into, but for some reason I decided to ‘buckle up’ and begin my adventure. I’m typically a slowww change kinda person. I’m a creature of habit who likes consistency and familiarity. I’m a homebody… so it’s kind of surprising that I decided to move from sweet little Rhode Island all the way to Charleston, SC.
SO much has happened in the past 6 months. These months have been some of the hardest, loneliest months of my life… but they have also been some of the very best. I wouldn’t change anything. Moving out was HARD, but looking back I couldn’t be more thankful that I took that leap of faith. Moving to a new city by yourself has a way of defining you, growing you, and showing you who you really are. Here are the top 5 things I’ve learned since the move:
My relationship with God is everything. I credit God 100% for giving me strength these past few months. In the midst of all the changes, He has been my rock and my peace. Through paying bills, car maintenance and repairs, buying all my own groceries, dealing with health issues, and arriving home to NO ONE night after night… it hasn’t been easy. But in the the midst of challenging times, GOOD things have happened. And if it wasn’t for God’s peace and stability I’d be too anxious to enjoy them. He has absolutely carried me through this move and given me the strength to thrive.
True love was there all along. Since I moved to Charleston last August, I fell in love with my best friend of 10 years. We have a CRAZY love story and one day I’ll write a blog post all about it, but essentially my friend Mitch and I are now dating. He’s had feelings for me for many years but I always felt that we were ‘just friends’. We always prioritized our friendship over everything, but I didn’t think it was more than that. We always loved to talk. When I moved here we talked on the phone almost every night until one of us fell asleep. One day I called him up and told him I was having a rough week. Two days later he drove 17 hours to see me. He took me out to cheer me up, bought me groceries, explored my new city with me, cleaned my apartment, and made me laugh. I suddenly realized that he was the truest form of love I’d ever known. Distance has a way of making the heart grow SO much fonder. I know it’s said a lot, but MY best friend is now my boyfriend- for real.
Life will never be perfect, and that’s okay. The biggest 2 blessings so far have been my strengthened relationship with God and my serious relationship with Mitch. That being said, now I’m in a long distance relationship, which is HARD. I’ve also been going through a flare up of my autoimmune disease which has left me feeling incredibly fatigued. Instagram can sometimes make it look like life is perfect, but it never is. I’ve experienced set backs and blessings, but I’ve learned that positivity and gratitude are EVERYTHING. Happiness and thankfulness are always a choice. I count my blessings everyday.
Adulting is HARD. Being away from my home, my friends and my family is hard enough. Tack on learning how to “adult”… Ugh, it’s been a process!! I’ve learned to meal prep (healthy meals), stay organized (I’m naturally a mess), and clean (I feel like I’m always cleaning- probably because I’m always messing, lol). But yeah, I’m actually living on my own and learning to be an adult.
It gets easier. These past 6 months have been an emotional roller-coaster! I’ve had highs and lows, good times and some not so good times. I’ve been homesick and yet I’m starting to love my new home. I’ve had sleepless nights where I toss and turn, but I’ve also made wonderful memories. I’ve missed my old friends like crazy… but I’ve made some great new ones, too. (Funventures can happen anywhere). Moving is HARD. But I’m incredibly grateful I did it and I wouldn’t change anything!! Here I am, 6 months later and I feel SO much more at ease. I’ve found a rhythm here and I’m really starting to love this place!
So, there you have it! A LONG post to make up for all the months I’ve neglected this little blog. Thanks for reading. Have YOU ever moved away… all by yourself? What was your experience like?!
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7 Comments
I did the exact same thing when I was 22. I’m from New England and decided on a whim to move to Charleston where I knew nobody & packed up my car and left 2 weeks later. It was so lonely at first, but now I’m so much stronger and confident. Charleston is such a great area to meet new friends because almost everyone is a transplant from somewhere else. And it’s also a city that has so many places that are ok and wonderful to explore by yourself 🙂. Best of luck. You already know this, but you’re going to come off of this adventure a so much stronger person.
February 11, 2018 at 8:42 pmThanks so much Anna! Sounds like we have a similar story! I moved here when I was 22 as well! Also, you’re so right, most of the people I’ve meet have moved from somewhere else. I’ve actually met 5 people from Rhode Island (in 7 months)!!
Sincerely, Cailee
March 13, 2018 at 1:04 amWow, I really love this post. Its clear that you are looking back on your time in your new city with a lot of honesty, both in the good times and in the bad. It seems like you did something really hard for you and are making the most of it, even if it isn’t always easy. For that, you should be proud of yourself.
February 11, 2018 at 10:12 pmCrazy to hear about you and your boyfriend! He is a lucky guy for sure.
Love this!! It’s inspiring to see you grow in a tough situation. You’re pushing through and flourishing! I think you’ll be really happy to look back on this time in your life and see how much you embraced the uncomfortable and unexpected. It’s going to be a great feeling. 💜
February 14, 2018 at 1:15 amThanks so much Becca!! It’s definitely been a life-changing experience!!
Sincerely, Cailee
March 13, 2018 at 1:05 amI love this blog post, Cailee! First, how cool that you met your company through Instagram!
Second, I’m so excited to hear about you and Mitch! He sounds like such a sweetheart and I can’t wait to read the blog post all about your relationship.
As someone who will likely be moving alone to a new city next year after graduation and has a similar personality type, it was really great to read about your experience and perspective on everything 🙂 I’ve missed reading your posts!!
February 14, 2018 at 4:26 pmAhh yes, moving far away from home is sometimes thrilling & exciting, sometimes hard & depressing… but one thing is for sure: It makes you grow as a person. I moved from my home state of NJ to California 2,500 miles away with my Marine, who got deployed just a few weeks later… so there I was, all by myself in a new city. I made friends, explored the area & found new favorite places, & somewhere along the line it went from being this strange new place to being my home. I learned so much from those years!
And your boyfriend sounds like such a catch! I loved hearing a bit about your love story. He definitely seems like a sweet, thoughtful guy 🙂
February 21, 2018 at 4:24 am