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I moved out

My fiance and I moved out in August to be closer to the University. The peace that comes from living on your own is priceless and worthwhile. I'm so grateful to have family that let us live with them to save up because we furnished the entire place and still have savings. I checked dozens of websites for the best offer because it's not always on Amazon. Dakota has been quite a handyman when putting our furniture together. We've worked on multiple home projects together (he does all the hard parts). Not having anyone to help with little things like taking out the trash or going out to get groceries has taken some adjusting. I've had my family visit to eat lunch, and cooking for them is comforting. My grandma always cooked the most delicious food growing up, and now it's my time to return the favor. They like my food, which is a plus! I also have a dog. He's a chihuahua mix and, shockingly enough, doesn't bark as much as you would think. I took him to the groomer for the first time, and he looked terrific. He loves to cuddle and is actually on my lap right now.

Some days, I envision how things would have gone if I graduated from school in four years. I would be a registered nurse; we could have had our first home by now. The reality is that I am 24 and still finishing up my undergrad. I have one and a half semesters to go before I can apply for the nursing program. Fresh out of High School, I was a criminal justice major because I wanted to be a cop in Las Vegas. Life was put on hold for a year when I got cancer, and it took a long time to recuperate. I decided that risking my life to be a police officer to handle the worst of society wasn't worth it.

I got my feet wet in healthcare by working as a home health aid and medical assistant. I dealt with burnout, especially during COVID. Half of our providers left, so we had to pick up double the amount of patients. I took my first vacation and learned to no longer skip any of my breaks. I was a preceptor to new medical assistants and delegated some of my work to them once I trained them. All of this allowed me to clock out on time most days. When managers wanted to change my schedule to fit their needs, I had to put my foot down to prioritize my schedule over theirs. I learned how to put myself first because a corporation could care less if you were to drop dead. They don't care about your well-being and the time you miss with your family.

Sometimes, I wished I had moved out years ago, but there wouldn't have been any financial security. We don't have to choose between groceries and gas or start off with nothing. It is a blessing that I never take for granted. I've noticed a lot of people from my hometown moved back in with their parents after graduating. Everybody's journey is different. My friend Vanessa is 19, and if she keeps this up, she will be a registered nurse by the time she's 21. Kaylee is 28 and works full-time as a lead medical assistant while taking anatomy, chemistry, and an online course. She lives in Pahrump, and it's an hour's commute for her. I admire her work ethic because I couldn't take chemistry and biology while working full-time, but seeing that it's possible for some is impressive. It makes me feel like I can't complain when Kaylee does so much more. My neck was so tense I was going to get a massage; I didn't because it felt like a selfish thing to do. I'm trying not to compare and let things get to my head... I'm allowed to feel tired, anxious, to cry, be frustrated, and go to the spa when I please. We live different lives, and each of us has our priorities. Don't give in to the rat race.