I Moved Across The Country In The Middle Of A Pandemic. Here's What It Was Like

Sometimes you wake up one day and realize you need to make a change. Sometimes it's something small, like deciding you need to stop falling asleep eating sandwiches. And other times, it's big. It's finally doing the thing you've been afraid to do. This story is how I finally did that thing.

With COVID came a lot of personal realizations. And most of them were not easy. Like most people, it began with cookie-cutter things for me. The realization that my social life as I knew it had come to an abrupt end. The realization that I would have to make adjustments to find my place in this new reality. But as time wore on, the situation changed. The cookie-cutter realizations I believed would be simple to get through since they clear became difficult. My daily routine went from tedious to unbearable. And at first, I couldn't understand why. It was like one day, without me noticing, a switch flipped, and everything was worse. Then, when I took some time to think about it all, things slowly came into focus. The flatness I had felt for months was simply the new face of an old beast. Depression is something I've struggled with for a long time, but I had never experienced it this way before. The larger signs I had learned to recognize from my past were missing, so I failed to recognize it for what it was. But realizing what you're dealing with is only half the battle. Once I managed to begin to take the steps I needed to get better, the tough questions emerged. Mainly what could I do to help pull me out? In this new COVID world, my usual comforts, spending time with friends, spending time in the hustle and bustle of the world, were unavailable. So I had to search. Search for a new way to find comfort in this new and unfamiliar world. And during that search, I came to the root of my problem. I was fundamentally unhappy with where I was both physically and in my life. I chose to start with the former.

I had known for a while that I wanted to move, but I had always found reasons to put it off. Ironically, the adage is true. Once you set a goal and work towards that goal, things come to fruition. Of course, there are always obstacles that are out of your control. It may take some time, but you'll reach your goal. For me, it took three months. At the moment, it felt like an eternity. Once you decide you want something, it's hard to have to wait for it. But in the grand scheme of things, three months is a short amount of time. After things fell into place, all there was left to do was get over my fear and insecurities. Honestly, I'm still working on that last part. But I got over my fear just enough to leap. And I'm so glad that I did. While there is still work to do, I took a big step in the right direction. That isn't always easy. It's essential to keep checking in with yourself, especially in a time like this unprecedented one. Be mindful of your mental state and do your best to be lenient with yourself. If you have faith in yourself and the support of the people around you, everything is within your reach.