LIVING
Moving in a pandemic
When you think of moving away , you probably wouldn ' t think to do it during a pandemic - that ' s exactly what Ria Wolstenholme did though . She shares her story
They say the biggest changes happen outside
your comfort zone , and that comfort zone gets a hell of a lot smaller when you throw a global pandemic in the mix . It ’ s safe to say that 2020 has been a whirlwind for us all ; whether it ’ s meant losing a job , missing out on holidays or seeing loved ones , or unexpectedly having life as we know it turned upside down .
I seemingly took the approach to beat corona to the punch and shake up my world on my own . In September , I packed my life into two suitcases , two cardboard boxes , and moved to London . I had saved enough money to get me by until the new year , I handed in my notice at work , and I was ready for a change of pace and a new chapter in life .
A lot of people called me crazy or asked , ' why now ?' - but I never had a convincing answer other than , ' it just feels like what I need to do '. Once I ’ d made the decision and signed a lease for a flat , the tidal wave of questions hit - But what will you do for work ? Where will you live ? How will you afford to live there ?
Since I graduated from University two years ago , I have had it pretty easy . A steady job , happy living situation , friends and family on my doorstep and no real worries . Everything was pretty smooth sailing . But , to me , that brought no challenge . It didn ’ t set my world alight ; it didn ’ t make me want to work hard . It made me complacent , lazy and frankly uninspired .
I understand why people think I ’ m crazy to move away from my family with no solid job in the middle of a pandemic , but I ’ m not a believer in waiting for the right moment , because by waiting for it to feel comfortable , you ’ re already too late . Feeling excited , nervous , anxious and maybe a little apprehensive comes with any big life change we make . It comes when we ’ re having our first day of school and our parents leave us at the gates waving goodbye . It comes on that first date with someone you really like . Because it ’ s a sign we ’ re about to start something
new , jumping into the unknown and trusting the process that if it ’ s meant to be , it ’ ll work out .
So that ' s what I ’ m doing right now - I ’ m living with friends and embracing being 23 without a mortgage or any responsibilities for anyone or anything other than myself . I ’ m taking a chance and trusting myself to make it work because there ’ s no other option . And while I miss the ocean air and my friends and family who are back home , and there ’ s a pressing concern that there may come a time again where I can ’ t just go home ; it ’ s still worth it to be somewhere I feel at home . I feel at ease , there ’ s more opportunity to make a change and chase / the dream , as cliché that sounds .
Whilst moving away from home during a pandemic is less than ideal , I am also incredibly lucky to have the means to do so . Being able to work and save and having the skills to work for myself has given me the flexibility I need to give it a go and see where I end up . I ’ ve learnt through trial and error that your greatest achievements won ’ t come along when you ’ re feeling comfortable and calm . Feel the fear and do it anyway , because the only impossible journey is the one you don ’ t begin . •
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