Moving Out Series: Ready To Leave

It's been about a year since I graduated from college..and something seems off. Get a job? Check. Save money? Check. Learn how to be independent? Ch--oh wait, my mom is calling me to go run out for some quick groceries. Hm? Yeah, I still live at home. Why? I don't know. What else would I do? What else can I do?

Yes, I've threatened to move out. And for the most part, a lot of you probably have done so, too. Typically after a big fight with the parental units. And usually after becoming fed up with the whole "if you live under my roof, you must obey my rules" shtick. But let's face it, even deep down inside your yearning heart, you knew that it wouldn't be the defining reason for you to move out. Making the big decision to move out should be for something more worthwhile, rather than just a temporary fix.

After living four glorious years of freedom away from traditional Asian parents, I developed a taste for freedom. It was refreshing to be out as late as I wanted to be, without having to notify either parent about my whereabouts. But of course, being able to stay away at school meant working my ass off to make sure I didn't get kicked out. Fortunately, I learned when to work and when to play. Lesson learned: living out on your own meant being responsible for yourself. Your parents didn't have to see the grades, but you had to deal with them on your own terms. And the prospect of living under a different roof from parents' and their rules was so refreshing.

I want to say that I am ready to move out. I've got a steady job with a good paycheck to support me. And I like to think that I have a good head upon my shoulders. And no, I don't want to move out to be away from my parents, as crazy as they may drive me. Rather, I can safely say that I want to move out because I feel like I am ready. It feels like the next step for me.

Now that I've pretty much survived a full year of living back at home (hey, it may seem like a small victory on my part, but even my older sister couldn't last a year and now lives in Korea!), I feel like I need to go back out there on my own. And unlike living away at the dorms with an "emergencies-only" credit card, this time I'm armed with my own own paycheck, along with the burden of personal bills and student loans to pay.

Will I survive?

Who knows. To each their own, but the idea of responsibility for my own self no longer seems to be a scary thought. Yeah, I know that a lot of people are moving back in with their parents, thanks to our glorious economic situation in this country. But you know what, I want this. And finally, instead of being hesitant to jump into the pond, I welcome the challenge of being one step closer to becoming a so-called adult.

Stay tuned as one 20-something girl tries to find herself a new place to call home, and ultimately, her own..