The Friends & Family Discount
We have hit the halfway mark on this year! Where to start?! Well, I am living strictly, and completely on my own, taking public transportation (whew chile...), working two jobs, buying groceries, cooking for myself and by myself and more adult like tasks. Needless to say, living on my own has given me the space I never had to truly learn about who I am, reflect, and plan for my future.
Living alone has it cons of course! It takes missing my family and friends to a whole new level. I find myself calling my mom more than the regular once a day to hear her voice and have someone to talk to. I call my different friends daily and I’m overly excited when I receive a random FaceTime alert from them. And it pains me to say this but sometimes I’m happy to go to work just for simple human interaction after being cooped up by myself in my place.
This summer my relationships, in my eyes, have been discounted, cut completely in half due to my circumstances. I never spent a summer where I wasn’t living under my mother’s roof. And although I love the peace of staying in my apartment, it shakes me into a harsh reality. I am growing up and I will be working and living on my own with less than 30% or if I’m lucky half of my free time being able to dedicate to spending time with my friends and my family. Especially with having two summer jobs that demand so much from me.
It is June and so far I am certain I have a great net of people in my personal circle who are there for me and will be there to catch me if I fall. Because believe me the adult world has no problem pushing you with no care of where you'll land. One thing that I have solidified about my values after surviving on my own, is that my family is very important to me. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder and I believe this now more than ever. I encourage whoever is reading this, even if you don’t have a strong relationship with your immediate family, find a group of individuals who will be there for you in times of need when your lonely or even if you’re like me who simply needs someone to vent to after a stressful day of working in retail. A group of people who will love you at your full price.