n. a curved, flat, wooden tool that can be thrown in such a way that it returns to the thrower (Merriam Webster, 2014)
Similar to its Merriam Webster definition, the boomerang generation are finding themselves returning back to where they started, often times with their family. I am no exception. I speak not on behalf of my generation but through input from numerous media sources, but also through experience. I mean how could I not- this topic has been the focus of any and all holiday parties with my family.
Much like my counterparts, I was thrown into the “real world” by my family. Be it college, full time work, or even the result of some tirade about independence, we found ourselves in the world outside of our family home. The biggest problem is that we entered into a world that wasn’t fully ready for us to be in it, financially speaking. { I am no financial expert, so I will leave it at that}
The lure and appeal of moving away, going to the city, and/or buying a house are still a large part of our lives as boomerang-ers. I have all of these things on a list that was titled: Life after college. Recently, it was edited to say: Life after I save money/figure life out. This gave me the opportunity to finally apply some advice from the many graduation speeches I have heard over the years. I took Robert Frost’s advice and took the road less traveled. More simply: I moved home.
I relapsed twice. {proudly at that} I lived away during my four years of college. Much like Aubrey and most college students, I bounced between my home at home and my home at school. It was four years of constant transition, until I found myself permanently at home after graduation. This is where I begin to question. What am I doing? What is home? Where am I going? The easiest answer to all of these is obviously graduate school.
It was easy to see that graduate school would take me out of the house and down a road closer to finding the true answers to these questions. I was out on my own being the professional, crazy, sleep deprived grad student I had always read about. Fast forward that year and I was back at home.
The grad school mugshot. Clearly, we look so enthused to be headed back home.
Media sources have praised, defended, and critiqued our decision to move and stay at home. While many of the points are valid and true, I don’t think they fully capture how important this life decision really is. For myself, this is a way to develop financially and professionally. More specifically, here are my reasons why I moved home!
- Saving, Saving, Saving! I have many dreams {homes, travels, philanthropy, excursions, etc}, but all of these require financial backings. I chose to move home to make a dent into my student loans and re-calibrate how I saved. {a little more than just skipping the second Starbucks run, or forgo-ing a night out}
- Like my last reason, I have so many things I want to accomplish. By living at home, I have the opportunity to go to a bachelorette party in Nashville, wedding in Puerto Rico, or even that new laptop. It gives me the freedom to be ever present in the now, while also keeping one eye on the future {financially}. A balance of spending what I need to live in the now, but be set up for a successful future.
- Family is one of the most important things. My family has been changing from the moment I left the nest {the first time}. From marriages, to new siblings, to cross country moves, I was away for a lot of BIG things. I feel like this time with them is a way for me to play catch up and fully connect back with this crazy group of people.
My next move, MOVING OUT!
The Seekers 