Moving across the country at 27 and feeling incredibly guilty about leaving my mom behind

27F, and in about three weeks I’m moving from the West Coast to Washington, DC.

I’ve lived in the same small timber town with my mom basically my entire life. I’ve moved out twice, but always nearby, and both times she eventually convinced me to come home with things like, “You can’t afford to live alone,” “What if it doesn’t work out?” or “There’s no point in living alone.”

My partner of nine months recently got an amazing job in DC, and I was able to secure a job there too, so we’re making the move together.
I’m incredibly excited, but also terrified. I think growing up hearing that I couldn’t really afford or handle life on my own has made me question whether I’m actually capable of doing this.

The hardest part is the guilt. I’m an only child, we have no other family nearby, and my mom doesn’t have friends or much of a social life. She’s retired, has limited mobility, and rarely leaves the house. I feel horrible knowing she’ll be alone when I leave.
But at the same time, I feel like I need to do this. I need to become my own person, build my own life, and experience something outside of the town I’ve lived in my entire life. I love my mom, but I don’t want fear and guilt to keep me here forever.
Has anyone else, especially only children, gone through something similar? How did you deal with the guilt and fear of leaving a parent behind? I think I just need someone to tell me it’s going to be okay. 🥹