What no one tells you about moving out.

I have moved out of my parents house many, many times. I have done the dorm thing, lived with different roommates, and then moved back in with my parents when those seasons of life ended. But this time, things were different. I feel so incredibly blessed to have found the person I will spend my life with but this also meant that moving out of my parents house this time – meant I would be leaving them forever.

Leading up to the move, I blocked out the feeling of sadness. I was on cloud 9 and more than ready to move in with Leon. I was excited to have our own little space with our dogs and move to a cute little town (and don’t get me wrong, I still am SO EXCITED for those things) but my heart was hurting.

I am incredibly and ridiculously close to my parents and my family. I consider myself beyond blessed to have such a loving, supportive, and tight-knit family. But that only made it 1000x worse to leave them. When I was younger, all I wanted was to grow up. I have probably wished away the last 25 years of my life, always chasing the next “best” thing. Packing up my bedroom made me feel such an intense sadness that no one prepares you for.

Why don’t people talk about this?! Why don’t they tell you that leaving your parents house it one of the hardest things you may go through?!

I didn’t move 3 hours away, or a state away, or a country away…I moved 30 miles up the road to a little town outside of Bowling Green. I am 22 minutes from my parent’s driveway. But I don’t care. It’s 22 minutes away from seeing my dad walk through the door when he gets home from work, or making dinner with my mom each evening, or talking to my brother about his day, or having stupid little arguments with my sister. I didn’t slow down and appreciate those little moments in the way I should have.

So this is my advice to you – soak ALL of those moments in. All of them. If you are lucky enough to be in a household with people who love and support you – cherish that.

I feel incredibly grateful that Leon loves and supports me in the way he does. He makes me feel so seen and heard. He holds my hand while I cry on the drive home from my parents, he holds me in his arms when I randomly start crying in our closet while I think about my family. He has been so patient and kind to me during this season of life and that is all I can ask for.

Each day is getting a little better. I don’t burst into tears on my way home. I don’t text my mom every 2 minutes when I am home alone in our new house. I don’t sit and wonder what they are doing all the time because I am busy creating a home for Leon and I.

So if you are struggling with leaving your parent’s house – I feel you!! It’s hard and emotionally exhausting BUT it is also incredibly rewarding and exciting and JOYFUL. I mean, Leon and I are 25 and BOUGHT a home. That is a really big deal. I couldn’t have done that without the support of my family and Leon.

I know this post is all over the place. But I just want to thank my parents for creating a home so full of life and love that their first born daughter cried and cried and cried when she had to leave. Leon, thank you for allowing me the space to cry and for a relationship that is so wonderful – I chose to leave my parent’s house to dive even deeper into our love for one another. I pray that one day we have children who feel so love and seen in our home, that they feel just as bittersweet to leave it.

Thanks for reading friends!! xx