When I left Louisiana in 2012, the only home I’ve ever had and known, I didn’t think much of it. I didn’t make a bucket list, I didn’t think I would miss it (too much), and I was more than ready to get out. The excitement of moving across the country and experiencing something new for the first time in my life far outweighed any reservations I could have possibly had. For the entire year prior to the day I finally packed my car, entered my new Connecticut address into my GPS, and began a 1,400 mile move across the country, all I could think about was life somewhere else. I didn’t care where, I just wanted it to be different. I wanted something new. I wanted an adventure.
I’m easy going with a lot of things. I tend to overthink the small things at times and just go with the flow with the bigger things. My grad school application process was one of those. I didn’t care where I ended up, as long as it was a reputable school and program. I wasn’t set on getting into a specific school in a specific state, so instead, I sent out my application to a few places. One to the West coast, one to the East coast, and so on. When the time came to make a decision, the East coast won and off to New England I went.
It was just me, a packed car, my dog, and Chris in his packed car behind me. We said our goodbyes and hit the road not looking back. That new adventure was finally happening.
It took a year for the newness and excitement to start to wear off before I began to realize what our life really was. Our life consisted of a place with no family nearby and a small amount of friends we could count on both hands, there was no jambalaya or étouffée on the restaurant menus, no sights or sounds of “Who Dat” or “Geaux Tigers”, no festival just for the hell of it, the only snowballs were that of actual snow, and holidays became our vacations which turned into the only time to see the familiar faces we loved.
What I didn’t do before I left was take in what I currently had. Growing up in south Louisiana, for me, has been a very unique experience; one that is different from the rest of the world, and is enough to make you feel like a foreigner in your own country. All of those things that were considered a normal part of life in Louisiana became a thing that had to be explained to people from other walks of life, but it was a true passion that I later realized had a very special place in my heart. It was those things that I had once undervalued and so desperately wanted to escape.
To anyone planning a big move or life change, I’ll say this. Before you go, look at what you have. Maybe that city you can’t wait to leave means more to you than you think.
I’m not writing this to discourage anyone from making a decision to start a new adventure, in fact, I’m implying the opposite. Perhaps it takes leaving everything you have to fully appreciate everything you had.
If I had to go back and do it all over again, I’d do it the same. Living that new experience helped define me. I may not have willingly returned to everything I know and love, as I’m now in Dallas, but it’s still with me on a daily basis. It is me.
Morgan Sparks says
I couldn't agree with you more on this topic. I actually hated my hometown (Birmingham) growing up. It wasn't until I moved to NYC for a semester that I really began to appreciate all that Birmingham has to offer. I can say with certainty now that Birmingham is where I am meant to be. On the other hand, I don't think I would feel this way if I didn't get out of here and have the amazing experience in NYC that I did.
Celeste Marie says
Huh. This really speaks to me, since I'm from South Louisiana as well. Proud Ragin Cajun 🙂
I have been looking forward to moving to Seattle, which would be a long time from now, but it certainly is a possibility in my life. I know there are so many things that I would miss from around here though. The food, my family, my friends, the atmosphere. All of the festivals! We are truly the festival state. I really will miss all the great happenings around here!
Kate at Green Fashionista says
Love this post! We packed up and left everything we knew and everyone we loved behind in Connecticut and moved to Florida almost 5 years ago. We knew it was the best move for us as we were miserable in CT with the long harsh winters and high cost of living. Thankfully, some family has joined us now down here and we fell into a fantastic group of friends. I think it's much harder to grow up in the south and move north than to grow up in the north and move south. It's just so much prettier (and cheaper to live) down here, and so much more to do 😀
Jess says
Its so true. Thankfully I am loving where I am more and more every day. The move worked well for me but I was so scared that I would miss Ft Lauderdale and all it had to offer.