Until the Covid‑19 pandemic in 2020, I lived in my parents’ house. It was a comfort zone because it offered a safe and stable environment. It was good for me to have a place to live, and it was good for my parents because I was close by, helping them with many things. However, the pandemic changed all of us. The four months of lockdown gave me time to think about many things I needed to change in my life. One of them was that, in my 40s, I couldn’t keep living in my parents’ home. I needed to find a place of my own.

Once the lockdown ended, I focused on searching, and I found a small, pleasant apartment that needed many adjustments. It was a risky decision—leaving the comfort of my parents’ house to live alone, with everything that implies. At first, it was hard, and the idea of turning back crossed my mind constantly.

Today, six years later, I don’t regret that decision. I still live in the same apartment, which I’ve improved little by little. Even my relationship with my parents has improved significantly since I moved out.

Sometimes we’re simply afraid to take the leap, when taking the leap is exactly what helps us grow and move forward.