I Learned How to Leave Before I Learned How to Stay

Nobody really talks about what growing up in the system does to you.

Not just where you live—but how you think.
How you feel.
How you move through life.

For me, one of the biggest things it taught me was how to leave.

Not always physically.

But emotionally.

Mentally.

Quietly.

You learn early not to get too attached.
Not to get too comfortable.
Not to expect things to last.

Because at any moment, everything can change.

And when that happens enough times, you stop letting yourself fully settle anywhere.

You start holding parts of yourself back without even realizing it.

You tell yourself you’re just being strong.
Independent.
Unbothered.

But really, you’re just protecting yourself.

Because it’s easier to leave first
than to be left again.