Moving Back to Your Hometown

If you moved away from your hometown for college or a job opportunity, it can be disheartening when circumstances require you to move back. You may feel like returning home is regression, or that others will think you have somehow failed at your new life elsewhere. However, whether your return home is temporary or for the foreseeable future, there is no reason it can’t be a life-enriching experience.

 

If you haven’t kept in touch with your friends since you left, you may feel anxious about reconnecting with them. Before you return, contact your friends with a quick text or Facebook message to let them know you are back in town. This way, they will know that you were thinking about them prior to your return — not just once you were back and feeling bored. Arrange a big gathering at a local bar or coffee shop to give the affair a casual atmosphere that won’t intimidate friends you haven’t spoken to in awhile. Once you are all together, you’ll be reliving memories and swapping stories about what you have been up to since the last time you saw one another.

 

A great way to celebrate your return home is to spend some quality time enjoying your favorite things about your hometown — have a drink at your local pub, ride your bike along the old trail, or take a stroll downtown to window-shop and have an espresso at your favorite cafe. The treasured memories attached to these beloved places will fill you with nostalgic comfort and ease your stress about your return home.

 

Even if you are now in a different industry, it might be a good idea to snag temporary employment at your old job while you search for other career options. Instead of shooting your old boss an email with your resume, stop in the office or establishment to drop it off in person. Your employer is more likely to remember you if they can put a face to the name, rather than reading an impersonal email. Make sure to keep a positive attitude when discussing your decision to move back home, so your boss won’t think of your inquiry for work as part of a temporary transition period.

 

If moving back to your hometown means returning to the nest, you may fear you will regress to adolescence. A temporary stint living back home with your parents doesn’t have to carry the shameful stigma, and you don’t have to return to your former lifestyle while residing under their roof. Do your best to contribute, whether it be financially or by pitching in around the house. Budget your money, so you can save for your own place quickly. Establish some boundaries, so your privacy is respected and your parents are comfortable. Explain that you feel as if you are entitled to some privacy and independence — especially if you have become accustomed to it while you were away. As long as you respectfully adhere to one another’s wishes, your temporary cohabitation should be harmonious.

Do you have any tips for moving back to your hometown? Share in the comments!