It has been a year and a month since I moved since I moved out of my parent’s house. I was 26 when I moved out, at first wanted my freedom, but also felt that I was going to become distance from my parents. My brother and I moved out with great expectations and wanted to see if Houston gave us a different feel than living at home for most of our lives. Living under my parent’s roof doesn’t give a growing and maturing adult a true experience of how life on my own is compared to other another city or state than where they were born and raised.

The day of the move I woke up with excitement, ready and determined to start a new part of my life. There was no alarm needed to get me up. I started taking a part my bed, unhooking my television, getting crap ready to be thrown away, and looking around my room, my lifestyle, my identity, for such a long time for the last moment in that particular state. My brother was still sleeping and the friend who was helping us was with a lady friend and went to church the next morning. I went downstairs to say good morning to my parents and I saw their faces that they were happy for us, but sad that we were moving out of the house. My dad didn’t care much, he knew that we were planning this for some time and thought it was needed for out growth as men. My mother didn’t like the fact we were moving to a place which was 12 minutes away and were paying $500 bucks each in order to reach the destination of freedom. Still to this day she doesn’t understand why we would pay for a place that is 1/3 the size of her house.

The day was great and I am so glad that I got to experience it with my brother. Our relationship is not where it used to be and will probably never be the same. Throughout the first year on my own I have:

-Quit a shitty job which was driving me crazy.

-Discovered my passion and purpose in life.

-Met the love of my life.

-Grown balls and speak my mind more (also talks too much according to my girlfriend).

-Got a new job I can really learn a lot from and develop life skills.

-Being able to bench-press 320 lbs.

-Took 5 weeks off between jobs to restructure my mind, body, and soul.

-Moved to my own apartment.

I don’t think I would have gone through this transformation while being at my parent’s place. I felt that I was independent, but dependent on mom and dad for things I took for granted during my first couple of months living with my brother. When I look back at each day, each week, each month, and now this past year I am truly grateful in what I have accomplished. I am a believer of taking life in your own hands and making best out of all the situations I come across, but I know there is a balance in taking control of your life and letting the wind blow you which ever way. No matter how destined we think we are to do things we planned to do, life doesn’t work that way. I have a theory I think is true about this concept in life; if a person was born in a different part of the world or even in a different part of that state their lives would be different than what it is today. We will meet different people, our ideas would be changed because our friends or enemies have given us a different look at life, and life will be whatever it is through our choices due to our reaction to circumstances.

I am ready for what this year will bring me and I will not be my old way of planning everything out, it is best at times to let things happen and see how I will react to the outcome with where I am in the world!