Starting Over in New Hampshire Has Been Harder Than I Expected

Did you know that May is Mental Health Awareness Month?

If I'm being completely honest and vulnerable, this year (2026), it hits a little differently for me in many ways.  Personally and professionally.

I'm the guy who is always positive... always smiling. I think a lot of people assume if you’re showing up to work every day, smiling, posting content, laughing on the radio, or staying busy… you’re doing okay.

Sometimes that’s true. Sometimes it’s not.  This article may be a way for me to release the negative things and share a side of me that many don't see.

The last several months have been exciting. A brand-new opportunity. A new chapter. A fresh start here in New Hampshire.

But if I’m being real with you… Relocating alone hasn’t been easy. This isn't about asking for sympathy; it's just a way for me to be real with you, and maybe you can relate.

Leaving Virginia meant leaving behind my daughter, my friends, familiar places, routines, selling my home, and honestly… a version of life that felt comfortable. Then suddenly you’re dropped into a brand-new town where you don’t really know anybody yet.

That can mess with your head more than people realize.  I'm not a crier, but I've shed more tears than I care to admit over the past five months for many reasons.

And I know I’m not the only one who feels that way.  I did a post a while back on TikTok after first moving here that was very real and honest.  I was having a breakdown moment and come to find out, so many of you are going through the same thing or have gone through it.

A lot of people are carrying things quietly right now. Stress. Loneliness. Anxiety. Burnout. Missing someone. Trying to rebuild after a life change. Trying to stay strong while feeling completely exhausted mentally.

READ MORE: I’ve Hiked Colorado Fourteeners, But Mount Monadnock Destroyed Me

Mental Health Month matters.

Not because everybody needs some giant motivational speech.

But because sometimes people just need to hear:
“Hey… you’re not alone.”  I've found that out pretty quickly.

For me, one of the biggest things that keeps me grounded is staying active and finding moments to clear my head.

Some days that means throwing myself into work.

Some days it means the gym.

Some days it means hiking Mount Monadnock (the hike that damn near killed my ankles), and getting away from notifications and noise for a few hours. There’s something about standing at the summit looking out over New Hampshire that resets your brain a little.

And honestly? Sunday sunrises at Rye Beach have helped more than I can explain. Watching the ocean wake up before the rest of the world does… it slows everything down for a minute.  Taking a back road through Raymond or just a drive along Route 1 had helped me.

The worst part for me is the "after work". Walking into an empty apartment. That's the struggle. I end up watching a movie I've seen a hundred times cause it's comfortable, scrolling TikTok or picking up my laptop and writing. Like this.

Keep your mind busy.  Learn new things.  I'm actually thinking about taking guitar lessons.

I’m still figuring things out here. Still adjusting. Still missing people back home.

But I’m learning that mental health isn’t always about “fixing” everything overnight.

Sometimes it’s just about finding enough peace to get through today.

So if you take anything away from this during Mental Health Awareness Month, let it be this:

Check in on your people.

Especially the ones who always say they’re “fine.”

Sometimes, the people who look the strongest are carrying the most weight quietly.

And if you’re struggling too… you’re not weak, and you’re definitely not alone.