Up to this point my life has not been particularly exciting but as of recently it's just a little bit too exciting.
Summary: I'm a college grad working part time and living at home. I don't pay rent because my parents expect me to move out this year and would prefer I save my money for that eventuality. I also recently adopted a puppy (one of my goals since graduating) and he's super adorable and perfect and I've never been happier.
The situation: Since graduating, a handful of my college friends have moved to Colorado and have been asking me to come down and live with them. I recently visited for a week and we had a great time, and although I'm not a huge fan of the climate it's something I could adapt to. After that if seemed like a deal, and so I've been working toward that goal.
However, last week my old roommate (whom I love dearly) suggested that I move in with her this summer out in Virginia. I'm going to visit her in May but I don't know about moving. I would love to live with her but she does have an autoimmune thing that might make her unable to live with a dog, and that would be a dealbreaker for me. Assuming that we could work around that, I'd actually prefer to live in VA than CO, since the weather isn't much different from my home.
But wait, there's more: One of my best friends from high school is applying to schools down south (South Carolina and Georgia) to be closer to her boyfriend and is looking for a roommate so that she can live in an apartment off-campus. I know for sure that if I lived with her I'd be able to have a dog, because she's an animal lover and won't settle for anything less (she already has several apartments on her list of possibilities from her visit over spring break).
As if that wasn't enough to worry about, my best friend here at home also presents an obstacle. She's been suffering with chronic pain and illness for years, and throughout that time I've been her only real friend outside of family. Her personality is sometimes a lot to handle which is why she hasn't made any lasting friends (we've been friends since I was 12). Recently, she told me how she had been self-harming and struggling with suicidal thoughts on a daily basis. She also told her parents and since then has been going to therapy and seeing doctors etc. so I'm glad she's finally getting the help she needs. I've done my best to just be supportive and help her along the way, but I also know there is only so much I can do. I've been talking about moving for some time now, to try to get her used to the idea, but I don't think she takes me seriously and assumes that I'm just going to stay with her. (She talks about having me move down south with her but that's not going to work for so many reasons, especially not now). Anyway, I'm afraid of what might happen to her if I leave, and I know you're not supposed to make your decisions based on what other people want (and she's not the kind of person who would try to guilt me into staying put, just to be clear). But I really do worry and it is definitely making it difficult for me to decide anything.
So yeah, I guess I'm asking for advice on how to handle all this. I don't have my heart set on being anywhere in particular, as long as I'll be able to bring my dog and live with people I like I'll be perfectly happy. I am eager to move out and have my own space away from home. Right now I don't have any other long term goals that would factor into any of these choices. I'm being pulled in a bunch of different directions and I'll admit I never forsaw myself in this scenario in a million years.
Help?
Summary: I'm a college grad working part time and living at home. I don't pay rent because my parents expect me to move out this year and would prefer I save my money for that eventuality. I also recently adopted a puppy (one of my goals since graduating) and he's super adorable and perfect and I've never been happier.
The situation: Since graduating, a handful of my college friends have moved to Colorado and have been asking me to come down and live with them. I recently visited for a week and we had a great time, and although I'm not a huge fan of the climate it's something I could adapt to. After that if seemed like a deal, and so I've been working toward that goal.
However, last week my old roommate (whom I love dearly) suggested that I move in with her this summer out in Virginia. I'm going to visit her in May but I don't know about moving. I would love to live with her but she does have an autoimmune thing that might make her unable to live with a dog, and that would be a dealbreaker for me. Assuming that we could work around that, I'd actually prefer to live in VA than CO, since the weather isn't much different from my home.
But wait, there's more: One of my best friends from high school is applying to schools down south (South Carolina and Georgia) to be closer to her boyfriend and is looking for a roommate so that she can live in an apartment off-campus. I know for sure that if I lived with her I'd be able to have a dog, because she's an animal lover and won't settle for anything less (she already has several apartments on her list of possibilities from her visit over spring break).
As if that wasn't enough to worry about, my best friend here at home also presents an obstacle. She's been suffering with chronic pain and illness for years, and throughout that time I've been her only real friend outside of family. Her personality is sometimes a lot to handle which is why she hasn't made any lasting friends (we've been friends since I was 12). Recently, she told me how she had been self-harming and struggling with suicidal thoughts on a daily basis. She also told her parents and since then has been going to therapy and seeing doctors etc. so I'm glad she's finally getting the help she needs. I've done my best to just be supportive and help her along the way, but I also know there is only so much I can do. I've been talking about moving for some time now, to try to get her used to the idea, but I don't think she takes me seriously and assumes that I'm just going to stay with her. (She talks about having me move down south with her but that's not going to work for so many reasons, especially not now). Anyway, I'm afraid of what might happen to her if I leave, and I know you're not supposed to make your decisions based on what other people want (and she's not the kind of person who would try to guilt me into staying put, just to be clear). But I really do worry and it is definitely making it difficult for me to decide anything.
So yeah, I guess I'm asking for advice on how to handle all this. I don't have my heart set on being anywhere in particular, as long as I'll be able to bring my dog and live with people I like I'll be perfectly happy. I am eager to move out and have my own space away from home. Right now I don't have any other long term goals that would factor into any of these choices. I'm being pulled in a bunch of different directions and I'll admit I never forsaw myself in this scenario in a million years.
Help?
