There comes a time when some of us have to move out of your family home and relocate to other cities/countries for education or work. I moved out and relocated to Bangalore in 2007 for pursuing my post-graduation and it’s been 9 years that I am staying away from my family – well actually now I have a family of my own!

All these years of staying away has been an enriching experience and has shown some desperate moments as well. There are two things that you can do when these desperate moments haunt you – you sulk and brood over and do nothing about it or you brace yourself and tell life – BRING IT ON!

I am going to list down few life skills I picked up while staying away from home.

COOKING

When you relocate to the southern part of India you know what you get to eat – idli, dosa and a lot of variety of I-am-sure-nice food but I didn’t like that. Having a new kind of food (that you particularly don’t like) once or twice is tolerable but having to eat that thrice a day everyday was a punishment. The only food we got at college canteen was south Indian food and a handful of north Indian items like roti and subji! The food at the paying guest accommodation was also quite hopeless, but luckily there was a kitchen.

A fish recipe you can find on my Food Blog – Twinkling Tina Cooks

The first time I made food – with mom’s instructions on phone – it was horrible! I just didn’t throw it because I had made an effort to cook! But you know experience is the best teacher. I started cooking often and the cooking skills did improve. Very soon I was making gourmet dishes and delighting my friends in the PG. Now my better half thinks he married well! I even have come up with my food blog Twinkling Tina Cooks. I must say this is a passion I realized, I had in me, only after I started living away. I had not even ventured in my kitchen while I was at home!

NAILS, HAMMER, LIGHT – BRING IT ON

Staying alone makes you independent and teaches you to do several things. You can’t always get someone to do all these odd jobs at home – changing bulbs, hammering nails on the wall, fixing a frame, putting up a curtain – you name it I have done it all! It all started when once the light in our room in the PG had broken. Why do I even wait for someone to help when I can help myself?

And it’s not just changing light bulbs, I can even join wires and fix a plug now!

NETWORKING WITHOUT THE NET

Two things happen when you relocate to a different city and start a new life. You leave behind your family and friends back home and feel bad about it and feel home sick. Or simply make new friends. Some people say it’s difficult to make friends later in your life when you have passed out college. In this age of Facebook, it is difficult to network in the real sense.

I was an introvert till about my sixth and seventh standard and later started opening up. But seriously I made friends for life when I started living alone. We have been together in joy, in tears, have taken some wonder trips together without letting anyone know. These are the friendships that would stand against everything even when we are not together in the same city.

SHARING & BEING CONSIDERATE

I am a single child and had never had to share anything all throughout my growing years. From the very beginning I had my own room, my own washroom, all my stuffs were only mine and I valued my privacy, as did everyone in my family. For a long time I knew I couldn’t sleep if there was anyone in my room. But once I started living in the PG I chose to stay in a double sharing room. The decision of not renting an apartment or a single sharing room was mine – how can someone stay without talking! I am someone who talks non-stop and I enjoy company.

I learnt to share the room as well as my stuffs. I learnt to being considerate with girls when we had to share a single television! But I guess these are important things to learn in life.

MANAGING EXPENSES

When you are on your own you realize money is a big thing. I started doing freelance design work while doing my post-graduation for some extra pocket money. My dad was funding my expenses. But I am such a shopaholic that sometimes the account balance used to scare me. This stayed with me even when I started working. But then I thought if I wanted to lead the life, the way I wanted I had to manage my expenses.

The day I started muting my expenses down on an excel sheet I at least had an overview where and how I was spending. After over six months I noticed the trend of unnecessary expenditure in shopping and eating out. Well since I am a big foodie, eating out made sense and so was shopping. But then I used to shop every weekend. It took time, to reduce it. But yes I helped myself and managed the expense well!

I saw this Life Skill Learning post on Rajlakshmi’s blog Destiny’s Child. I thought I had to list down my own. So what all you guys learnt while staying away from home and family?