Is it Time to Move and Follow Your Own Dreams?

When you’re in a relationship, it’s ideal for you and your partner to live in the same city, or at least the same region. Couples tend to avoid long distance relationships like the plague. But if you’re unhappy with where you are right now (both location-wise and life-wise), you should consider making a move.

Here are five questions you can ask yourself to determine whether you should stay or go:

1. How important is your career?

Do you know exactly what you want to do with your life, or are you still open for adjustments? No matter how you answered, take a look at your current location and evaluate the level of career opportunities there. Low job prospects can be one of the biggest problems with planting yourself in one spot. Reflect on your career goals. Is your current location helping or hurting?

2. Do you like where you live?

This is a pretty simple question. If your significant other wasn’t in that city, would you still want to be there? Do you feel at home, or would you rather be somewhere else? You don’t necessarily have to be living in your dream location, but you should at least be enjoying yourself wherever you are.

3. Is there an expiration date?

Let’s say your answer to #1 or #2 isn’t looking so great. Do you and your boyfriend have a set time you plan on staying in that location, or is it all up in the air? It’s easier to decide what you should do if your current spot has an expiration date. If your significant other is going to school, has an internship, is working a temp job or just has a time in mind of when he wants to move on, think about how close you are to that end-date. Would being in a long-distance relationship for that amount of time be doable?

4. Is your dream job out there?

When you’re looking for jobs, you might stumble upon a job that sounds amazing and then pass on it because you’re in California and the job is in Illinois. If this is the case, you should may want to talk to your significant other about moving and at least apply to these “dream-job” positions. You can think more about the logistics of it all if you’re offered a job. But if the job outlook is grim everywhere, then maybe staying in one spot isn’t so bad. As long as you’re happy, of course.

5. What would your alternate life be like?

Before doing anything too drastic, take the time to imagine yourself living somewhere else. Do you have enough money to live on your own? Would you get a roommate? What type of person are you–would you make friends easily? Are you OK with being alone? These questions aren’t meant to deter you from making a move. Even if your alternate life scares the hell out of you, you shouldn’t pass up on taking a risk if it will make you happier in the long-run. The purpose of these steps are to imagine everything realistically so that you are prepared for change if it comes to that.

So, what’s your take? Are you happy where you are? (Remember, a part of letting the small stuff goes

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