Straight question - Did someone tell you that in between getting good grades, graduating, getting a job and trying to be a morally right person, you also need to be a Survivor? No, I bet no one actually did. The things in life worth learning are never taught before you need them. You learn the little things with hands-on experience. I've been living away from family and friends for close to 4 months now, and it isn't as if this is the first time I am away. It's just that this is a newer phase where I live miles away on my own, work and earn for my own self, navigate my way through a completely new city and function as a fully grown adult.
It isn't easy at first. There is no familiar face at work. You are really cautious of making friends in a new city. You struggle to find some free time for yourself. Pursuing your area of interests is a rarity to go by. You try so really hard to have a tight leash on your expenses every month (still learning to not splurge). Friends and family far from you take a backseat, because all your core skills and time is concentrated on functioning alone and without the protective shield of your home and family over you.
But yes, you slowly fall into the hang of it. Prioritizing, saving, learning useful life hacks, finding your way through a new city without losing your shit, and using your core survival instincts - ll that is very important. No one will teach you stuff like this. You will learn and unlearn many things. Yeah. Un-learn. For example, I had to unlearn how to take work seriously. I learnt to leave behind all those office worries the moment I boarded my cab for home.
The only advice that you can probably use is - Be who you are. Be fluid and merge as easily into the crowd as if you were one of their own. But still hold tight to your roots and identity coz that is all that matters and it will set you apart from the others. Find time to do the things you love to do. Be a fighter, but also learn when to let go. Don't stop playing or laughing like an idiot when you hear a stupid joke. Appreciate the little happy things in your daily life. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. After all, there is a very fine line between being a victim and being a survivor.
Stay raw, Stay safe!
