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1. Chahbani (she/her/hers), Low Entropy Volunteer Writer

It is never easy to leave or quit. What if we were leaving a place that had all our memories, laughter and sorrows in it? I knew it was going to be hard and, at some moment in time, the joy of a new journey was going to turn into a big load on my heart. What started as excitement slowly turned into a burden as I began to realize the emotional weight of leaving everything behind.

In the face of these feelings, you can either take them head-on and move forward, or become paralyzed and controlled by the fear, ruining your whole experience. 

It can’t be denied that leaving marks the end of one chapter and the beginning of a fresh one. Everybody has their different reasons for leaving. Some people relocate in pursuit of greater opportunities, job fulfillment or education. Others do so to flee tough circumstances or unsolvable situations. I left because I could feel my beliefs crumbling under the weight of family expectations and societal standards. It felt like I had already lost the war and, all of a sudden, everything else was too much to bear.

When the time came to choose between living the same old unfulfilling life and diving blindly into the unknown, I made the decision to stand up for my life. That required me to let go of anything that was making me miserable and not serving my intended purpose. At this point, choosing to be brave or afraid was challenging. 

The trip might indeed provide happiness and contentment, but making the choice is never simple. Although I felt my roots had been abandoned, I now realize they are an unbreakable part of who I am. My roots stayed with me to guide me while I built a completely new identity based on values that were significant to me, helping to mold who I am and will become. I began to question the standards I had always maintained as I grew away from them. Some no longer served me, such as the need for approval from others. But those about resilience, personal growth and self-discovery, I rooted to. 

Even though saying goodbye hurts deeply, letting go allows for fresh viewpoints and different experiences. It has made me revise my values and accept change. Each goodbye seems like an opportunity to restart my life and follow my dreams. It reminds me that usually, to grow, a person has to leave their comfort zone. I’m building from experience, not starting from scratch. 

You’ll initially feel empty from all this novelty, both emotionally and geographically. The overwhelming unfamiliarity—new faces, new routines, new surroundings—left me feeling lost and disconnected, like I had traded my familiar, rooted identity for one that was still undefined. One should be mature enough to recognize that moving on will eventually reveal secret aspects of oneself, including resilience, stubbornness, a never-ending hope and a drive to learn, which I may not have realized at the time. At some point, I had to accept who I was and find comfort in the knowledge that those choices had turned out to be wise ones. As cliché as it may sound, growth is rarely achieved without saying goodbye to people, places or circumstances. But every goodbye opens a path for fresh starts and chances. 

Leaving a place can open the door to joy—joy that comes from new experiences and the courage to discover and try things you never thought possible. Back in the comfort of the familiar, I was often put into a mold and told what I could or couldn’t do. I was able to break free from those limitations by stepping into the unknown. Suddenly, I had the freedom to try anything I wanted. I had to confront my fears and challenge myself to explore new places and experiences. It wasn’t easy at first—fear often paralyzed me, making me second-guess my decisions. But as I persevered, I learned how to be my own best companion on this journey. 

I took myself out on dates, to events and even out to dinner. I learned how to leverage my brain to keep up my motivation and contentment. I managed to support myself. I came to see that I could build experiences for myself that were bold, genuine and joyful. 

The road had some bumps, yes. There were times when I shed tears and felt sad, but that was part of the journey—the process of becoming the person I was meant to be. Growing means accepting change, and leaving a place marks a significant turning point in one’s life, not just the start of a great little journey. The challenge of stepping into the unknown often leads to growth as we learn to adapt and rebuild our lives. 

I left a place, but somehow found myself in unexpected places, in quiet moments of self-reflection and in the new beginnings that awaited me. I learned new things about myself, such as how to accept my independence and curiosity, and how resilient I could be when faced with loneliness.

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1. Chahbani has pursued several career paths over the past decade. She is now making a career change. Her purpose in writing is to share her thoughts and experiences with others in her own words. Sharing is caring.