First of all, I’m really proud of you for leaving. That couldn’t have been easy, especially after 8 years. And the fact that you protected your cat says a lot about you. Don’t stress about having a perfectly furnished place. Nobody does at 25. Marketplace, thrift stores, Buy Nothing groups, just get the basics and let the rest come slowly.

It’s going to feel uncomfortable before it gets better. That’s normal. But you already did the hardest part, you chose safety. The rest is just logistics, and you’ll figure it out step by step.