No matter how you look at it, moving is incredibly stressful! I spent the entire summer preparing for my move to Chicago, so how could I think anything could go wrong? The first three days I was in Chicago I was lucky enough to have my mom here with me. She helped with the initial steps of unpacking and furnishing the apartment, even though we felt like we were in sauna having no air conditioning in the apartment yet. But, once those tasks were completed, it was time for her to head home and my own journey truly began.
While my mom was here I felt completely at home in my new apartment. I mean, how could I not? I had my best friend, my mom, and one of the cutest dogs in the world all under one roof. But the longer I was on my own the more reality started to sink in. Almost immediately I felt insecure, unsure, and nervous. It is up to me and only me whether or not I am successful. I know this is the natural progression of life, and I am surrounded by billions of people who have successfully done this before me, but I’m still scared out of my mind.
Despite the anxiety and uncertainty of moving to a brand new city, I already know that I have made the right decision. Within two weeks of living here I have met upwards of 15 plus people, and the craziest part is almost all of them also attended Indiana University! This brings me such comfort to have others to relate to, and the best part is it's an automatic conversation starter...all of us can talk about how much we miss IU for hours! By running into people I know throughout the city, I feel even more welcomed to Chicago and can already call this place a home.
I was worried that post-grad I would not have the opportunity to just sit around a couch with a group of friends and hang out. I know that sounds silly but I really was concerned that my new adult social life would be significantly different than a college social life. Over all, I am learning that I need to stop looking at new phases of life as shut doors that I’ll never get to experience again. Instead, I've learned that your life is really what you want it to be and what you make it. If I put forth the effort then the life I want will be possible!
I’ve been in Chicago for about two weeks now and there is still so much I need to improve upon myself! In two weeks I have pretty much only explored about a mile's worth of my own neighborhood. I have gotten very comfortable in my little bubble here in Lakeview, but I have to push myself out of my comfort zone. I’ve been making excuses about why I can’t leave the apartment whether its “too hot outside” or “I’m nervous to leave the dog at home”. So one goal of mine is to start exploring more of this incredible city that I am lucky enough to call home!
Lastly, since moving here I feel as if I have become my own worst critic. I have convinced myself that now that I am here I should be immediately employed and have the best possible job. This kind of thinking was a huge step backwards for me and I had to go back into my first blog post to remind myself that things take time. I even said it myself that this first job I get does not need to be my dream job… just step one to getting there!
Overall, I think Chicago is the right place for me to be right now. I have never in my life been as productive as I have been in these last two weeks. People here are always hustling and if you aren’t then you feel like a slacker. I look out my window and see people on the street heading to work or working out at 8 am. It continuously inspires me to start my day with positivity and to accomplish each goal as best I can (and makes me wake up much earlier than before)! This has also improved my mental health! The last two weeks have been filled with ups and downs but I have been constantly reminding myself that if I focus on the positives in my life I can give myself the opportunity to live my best life!
xoxo,
Rachel
