Living alone is a lot harder than it cuts out to be. Before making the move to New York last summer, I thought it was going to be a piece of cake. I had my money saved up and expected it to be like a long vacation. I thought wrong.

Living on your own takes a lot of skill, and most of the time this skill is made from previous experiences. The skill I had was learning to make toast, any microwavable product and maybe an egg. My skills I have today are from my experience of living on my own in a big city, and I have that to thank.

Most of the time the internet tells you some standard, basic version of what you need to prepare for being on your own. These sites have pointless knowledge really anyone would know to go to a city. The real experience of going yourself is so much more intimate.

The first thing I learned was to not waste all of my money on Chipotle. This seems like a stupid tip but trust me, this REALLY comes in handy. A burrito is about $9, without a guacamole fee. And when there is one on every block? Very tempting.

The second thing I learned was to look both ways before crossing the street. Now, this seems like something your mom would tell you when you were a little kid and then occasionally did it to satisfy the mother gods. But put your trust in me once again, ALWAYS LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER. In NYC, I would start crossing the street without looking because the guy in front of me went. Turns out the guy was stupid and I almost got hit because for it.

The third thing I learned was that Trader Joe’s is my best friend. For being someone who loves delicious, “healthy” snacks and food, this is the place to go. A quick train ride away from my apartment was a Trader Joe’s. Yes, there are some in Portland that I frequently shop at with my mom, but in NYC they are another world. On every corner in Brooklyn or Manhattan there is some type of convenience store/fruit stand or an overpriced all-organic place only Williamsburg hipsters shop at. Seeing a good whole-some Trader Joe’s next to my subway stop was like a nice lemon in a tree of oranges. I beg of you, shop at Trader Joe’s for you, your money’s and your stomach’s own good.

Living by yourself can be tricky and sometimes very overwhelming. It is good to talk to someone who has before so you know the real gist of what life is actually like outside of the bubble.