Being 20 years of age and having started studying psychology at University last October, I took a rather small step for me but a big step for my parents: with their full consent and support, I moved out of the room where I grew up to live in a beautiful tiny flat in the city together with my boyfriend.

My parents helped me in every way possible with the apartment, everything from meeting the real estate agent (because I wasn’t in the country yet) to endless hours of electrical installation, not to mention playing furniture taxi and donating a washing machine older than I am to the bathroom.

I want to make clear that I got my parents’ 100% support once I decided that it was time for me to move out. Yet I feel that it is hard for them to cope with this situation, according to the amount of calls, texts and WhatsApp-Messages I receive. Not that it bothers me (not even slightly!), but they were used to having me around every day, so this is an enormous change for them – and so it is for me. I notice their feelings also in details, like asking relatives who moved out as well how often they visit their parents. Also bigger comments, like my dad telling me he feels a little bit sad every time he sees my empty room, caught my attention.

I try my very best to not make them feel let down but to meet them and text them and send them funny pictures, because they are not only my parents but also people who I love, appreciate, respect and who I want to spend time with.

I know it is a big deal for them, especially because of the fact that theoretically I wouldn’t even have to move out, as the distance to the university would still be somehow doable (though more than 70 minutes per direction are quite a lot). But I met my gorgeous boyfriend and we found an amazing flat so one thing led to the other and I moved out.
Talking to my peers, I noticed that there is a difference in perception depending on whether the moving is absolutely necessary or not: for example, my German colleague simply had to move to Vienna in order to study here. It seems to me as if this creates a different situation: she is still “at home” in Germany, but studies in Austria. On the contrary, I have a new home, my own one.

However, I know for a fact that I can always rely on my parents; there is no second in which I wouldn’t receive the warmest welcome at their flat. I see this as my home base, from which I can explore the world, and I know that whatever happens, I can count on them.

As stated above, it might be hard for my parents, but I want to thank them, that they nevertheless gave me the opportunity to move out. For me personally, it is a big step forward to becoming an independent adult (most likely the biggest one so far). It is my space to develop and make mistakes, which would never happen with a caring parent observing. It is my time to accidentally put the metaphorical red sock in the laundry full of white shirts and end up hoping that baby-pink shirts will be fashionable again. It is my chance to overcook chicken and undercook spaghetti and prepare way too much rice. But I will learn from that and grow.

In the end I am glad I took that step – and I took it with my family. I always enjoy coming home, not only because of the full fridge but the awesome time I always have there. Moreover, it makes my parents happy – and I must not forget that it was them who fed me vegetable mash, who taught me how to read, who dealt with my moody teenager phase and made sure that I didn’t turn out as a complete idiot.

Want more by 10999?

https://stripped-magazine.com/category/columns/caution-curiosity-in-progress/