What Happens When You Move Away From Your Hometown

Last updated on December 28th, 2022 at 10:32 am

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When you move away from your hometown, it’s exciting and scary at the same time, especially if you’ve lived in the same place for your entire life.

As someone who has moved around, this blog post is about what exactly happens when you leave your hometown. 

Before You Move Away From Your Hometown

It’s a lot of excitement because you’re imagining and planning your near future.

There’s so much to do like figuring out how to get to your new destination. Are you taking a plane there? Driving?

How much stuff are you going to bring?

It will be a busy time as you are packing up your stuff and saying goodbye to your friends and family.

This whole process might not even feel real yet. It could even feel like you’re going away for a vacation.

When you arrive at your new place, bit by bit, it will start to feel real.

The Adjustment Period

When you make the big move, everything is shiny and new at first.

I still remember the time when I accepted an offer to go to college in Boston.

I turned 18 years old and moved to a new country (Canada and the U.S. are neighboring countries but still). 

There was a huge sense of freedom.

It was a fresh new beginning. The possibilities were endless.

The first few weeks get pretty hectic. There are things to do like furnishing your new apartment, getting your internet set up, and figuring things out like:  

• Where is the closest subway stop?
• Where can you buy your groceries?
• What would a typical day look like for you?
• Where do you go when you need new clothes?

If you’ve moved internationally, you need a new phone number too.

It’s a lot and can even get overwhelming at one point.

You’re trying to adjust to this new city and all the little things that come with it. 

Feeling Homesick

Once you have established your new routine, this is when feeling homesick starts to happen.

You’ve figured out most of the stuff and are adapting to your new lifestyle.

There’s more time on your hands and the people who helped you move have left.

People who moved with someone might have it slightly better. They can rely on each other in times of need but if you’ve moved by yourself, there’s the loneliness part.

You’ll find yourself constantly talking to your loved ones back home. The newness has worn off and you want something or someone that feels like home.  

There’s no familiarity in this new place you’re at.

When you get excited about something, you often focus so much on the good parts that you forget about the not-so-great things that come along with every situation.

You question whether moving away from your hometown was the right thing to do.

Can you really do this?

Maybe this was a mistake.

It’s totally normal to have these thoughts in the beginning.

As you get used to your new routine, you’ll soon realize all the benefits of moving away from your hometown.

Leaving Your Comfort Zone

When you first move to any new place and don’t know anyone, it forces you to meet new people.

You can’t hit up the same friends you’ve known forever to eat at your favourite restaurant.

You need to proactively make new friends since they aren’t going to just fall into your lap (it would be nice if they did though). It’s also going to take time to establish a solid connection with a new group of people.

You’ll also discover new restaurants. That restaurant you love down the block from your house is no longer an option but there might be something new you’ll discover here.

All the things you’ve been comfortable with your entire life are gone. You’re challenged and forced to leave your comfort zone.

Appreciating Your Hometown Friends

That group of friends in your hometown that you swore would be friends forever?

Yeah, there will be at least a few of them you’ll stop talking to as often.

When you leave your hometown, you’ll realize how many of these are situational friendships. You stayed friends because it was convenient.

Now that you’re gone, it’s the true test of friendship. Can you guys still stay close with 32409324 miles between you?

Some of them might check in on you once in a while through social media like Instagram and Facebook but there’s a huge difference between those types of friends versus a close friend you contact often.

You have to make more of an effort to keep your friends. Schedule phone calls and text them to update them on your life.

Even if you’re putting in the work, the other person might not. It’s a two-way street which is why a lot of friendships break when you move away from your hometown.

Your close circle of friends will become smaller but that’s how you know who your true friends are.

You’ll get a newfound appreciation for the friends you do keep in contact with.

Meeting New People

When you move away from your hometown, you’ll meet completely different people.

I remember having friends in college with people from different countries like Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Jamaica, Brazil, and Panama.

I would have never met any of them if I had stayed put since many of my hometown friends have a similar upbringing.

Meeting new people means gaining exposure to diverse cultures. You become more multicultural.

It’s also fun learning what their normal was when they were younger because it certainly wasn’t yours.

Growing your network opens your eyes to how big the world is truly out there. It makes you realize how small your world was for so many years.

Also, by expanding your network, you could very much meet your significant other or get a new job (you never know!).

Feeling Accomplished

Moving away from your hometown makes you grow up in so many ways. You mature and see the world differently.

Even when you have bad days, you’ll feel proud of yourself for moving.

You’ve gained new skills and independence.

People might not come right out and say it but I bet that there are people in your life that thinks you’re brave for leaving.

It’s a challenge not everyone can do so pat yourself on the back.

Moving to somewhere new is an experience that will change your life forever. I know it sounds a bit dramatic but it’s totally true!

You should feel accomplished and good about yourself.  

Should You Move Away From Your Hometown?

Firstly, you have to consider your financials. If that aspect is okay, ask yourself this one important question.

Will you regret not leaving in 10 years?

What about 20 years?

I highly encourage you to leave your hometown to experience the world when you are young.  

You have minimal responsibilities at that stage in your life. There aren’t many things tying you down but in the future, you have to consider your significant other, children, and long-term assets like your house or apartment.

College is the perfect time to go because it’s a trial period. There’s always the option of moving back home if things don’t work out. At least you tried and you figured out that it’s not for you.

When you’re at a full-time job, it’s harder because there’s no end. With university, it’s the year you graduate but with a normal 9 to 5 job (excluding contract jobs), there’s no definite ending unless you’re fired or quit.

Final Thoughts – Move Away From Your Hometown

Moving away from your hometown is one of the fastest ways to see yourself grow as a person.

Not everyone will understand your decision but this experience will change you for the better. You’ll experience new things and even if you do move back home, you’ll see your hometown with a new set of eyes.

There’s way more to gain than to lose. If you’re on the fence about leaving, go.

It’s better to live a life with ‘oh wells’ than ‘what ifs.’

Now to You

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Xoxo,
Nicole