24F considering ending a 2-year relationship with my bf 28M… but I don’t know where I’d go. What would you do?

My boyfriend and I have lived together for about a year. It was always his dream to live down the shore, and he made that happen by buying a beautiful house. I moved in with him last year and contribute financially each month plus groceries. I honestly love living here, I love the small-town beach vibe, my job, and the life we’ve built.

Lately, though, I’ve been questioning whether we’re actually as compatible as I thought we were. It breaks my heart to even type this, but the thought of breaking up has been creeping into my mind more and more. If that happened, I genuinely have no idea what I’d do.
I’ve narrowed it down to three options, and I’d love to hear what other people would do.

Option 1: Move back home.
This would definitely be the cheapest and easiest option. I’d save a lot of money, but I’d have to find a new job. I also really value having my own space, so moving back in with my parents isn’t something I want to do.

Option 2: Stay here and rent my grandparents’ condo.
This would let me keep the job I love and stay in a town that has really started to feel like home. The rent would be very affordable. My only hesitation is that this is his dream town. It’s a small community, and I’d feel guilty staying here if we broke up, i know I’d be making it harder for him to move on.

Option 3: Start over somewhere completely new.
Find a new town, a new job, rent my own place, and just hit the reset button. Part of me likes the idea of a fresh start, but it’s also terrifying because I wouldn’t even know where to go or how to begin.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? If you were in my shoes, what would you do? I’d especially love to hear from people who had to rebuild their lives after ending a long-term relationship. Did staying in the same area make moving on harder, or were you glad you stayed?

Posted Jul 11, 2026, 8:54 PM UTC

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