As I mentioned in my last post, I am a latina born and raised in the New York Area. I'm from Northern New Jersey and for Northern Jersey kids like myself, New York is pretty much my backyard.
After living here all my life, I had one of those "grass is always greener" moments. When I graduated high school, I went off to Boston for my first year of college. I loved Boston- but the school I was attending just wasn't right for me. Heartbroken that I had just spent a year at a school, spending A LOT of money (thanks tuition) and not feeling like I had made the right choice I made the last minute decision to take a "gap year" and basically- get my shit together.
After probably THE best summer of my life (which I will tell you about later) I ended up following an internship/job opportunity to Miami. I was surrounded by my fellow Cubans, eating way too many croquetiquas and drinking cafecitos till my hands shook. The experience was amazing, I worked with some great people, made some new friends, lived in a completely new place by myself, paid my own bills, I made the choice to move and I took on the responsibility of work, and life's many expenses. But, I learned pretty quickly that Miami lifestyle is WAY different than New York, and it's not always fun to be on your own in the real world.
~~Kari
One year later, a much tanner version of myself, decided to come back home to New Jersey/York. I missed my city too much! At first I was afraid that people would judge me for leaving and coming back. Would they think I was a quitter? Would my friends still be my friends? What was my plan now? It was scary! I was coming back home technically...but was home still home?
Overall here are some tips that helped me get through moving back home and understanding that I wasn’t taking steps back, but I was taking steps forward in the direction my heart felt was right!
✔ It's OKAY to try new places
✔ It's better to follow your heart, if you make a mistake or make a bad decision, know how to be the one to pull yourself back up off the ground
✔ We are young, we have all the time in our lives to make choices- right and wrong
✔ Don't let others make decisions for you
✔ No matter how independent you are, always look for support from friends and family. It's okay to need a shoulder to cry on.
✔ Education is more important than anything
✔ Always be grateful for the opportunities that come your way, everything happens for a reason
✔ Let your dreams motivate you to keep moving onwards and upwards
✔ Home is wherever there is love
So here's to those who are not afraid to try new things, to stumble, fall, and get back up.
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