Hey Anita,

I’m considering moving away for postgraduate study – to study something that feels important and I truly believe in. (Sustainable textiles engineering, I possibly mentioned that I am a textile artist already.)

It would break my heart to leave this city: its my adopted home after so many years of moving around. I really feel like I belong here; its an interesting city and I’ve got a really solid network of friends here. Some of whom are among my oldest friends, having known them for a decade now. I moved here 5 years ago and my parents 2 years ago.

I juggle two jobs – for an arts charity part-time, and I work as a professional artist the rest of the time. This has come off the back of years of networking. My work life is rewarding and happy. While I don’t earn huge amounts of money but I have enough to get by without  existing hand-to-mouth. The hand-to-mouth thing was extremely stressful! More stressful than the problems of living with my parents. Moving out would push me back into the hand-to-mouth existence.

That is why I am considering this MSc, it is something that is important and will improve my career prospects in the long term. If I leave now, I will be back in a cycle of hand-to-mouth.

It would take a long long time to build an equivalent network of friends elsewhere, equally a long time to establish myself as a working artist. I’m excited to do this postgraduate course but would probably return to this city after. I expect I will be lonely once I leave.

So yeah, I am only prepared to leave for something much bigger and better for my long-term happiness and security. Simply getting away from my parents isn’t enough of a reason for me.

-Feathering