When I was your age, moving in with a boyfriend was the rage. Life experience showed me it is a bad choice. No one is against romance. Perhaps b/c of the cult, I found myself hating my mom's lifestyle yet being more emotionally drawn to her because of it. It is called a trauma bond. The idea to move in with a girlfriend(s) is excellent advice. I feel it is very important for all women to learn life skills on their own. After at least one year, you will be ready to move in with your bf b/c you truly love him, not because it is new and a shortcut to independence. This is so important for ex-Witnesses. We are taught to be deferential, have low self-esteem, fear rejection, and don't have vast resources.
A little sophistication is good for romance. I'd call this the antidote to being the gender that is preyed upon more often. When I was in college, all I wanted was bliss with a boyfriend. Fortunately, for me, I attended law school. Starting friendships were difficult for me after the Witnesses. A boyfriend seemed the answer. Immediate intimacy. Instead, I was exposed to a difficult culture where hooking up was the exception and people went on traditional dates. All this in the midst of Greenwich Village, NYC. These years are crucial to developing patterns and skills. With my paycheck, I realized I no longer needed a boyfriend to have fine wine, china, travels, attend Broadway plays. It made a vast difference. I found I felt sexier and that I was a true catch. I went from beggar to chooser.
Rejection from family b/c of the Witnesses was a major theme of my young life. I was willing to sacrificie my beliefs rather than lose love. When you are young, you lack the experience to truly know circumstances are temporary. I had physical symptoms from the stress. It seemed so odd. I was a top student, I volunteered for acceptable social causes, I was outgoing. In short, the world loved me. Witnesses detested me. Rather than basking in the acclaim of my fellow students, my education was ridiculed. College was the turning point of my life. No way could I ever be a Witness again. There is no way of predicting how your mother will react. I believe you are concerned with her approval. It is exquisitely painful to pick up the keys and leave. Independence is a better framed goal than young love. Young love can wait a few months. You need to plan concretely what you will do if she rejects you. It is a major life trauma for anyone. Personally, I've been in active in Adult Children of Alcoholics and Dysfunctional Families. Any Witness family qualifies. I was so severely damaged before I reached eighteen. It can get a little bit culty too but you can select what you want and leave the rest. I met other people who were raised in cults. It is a great place to vent, to seek validation, and to learn alternative behaviors. "Worldly" friends will not understand the consequences of being raised as a JW.
This site is a great place, too. Many people here have faced the same ordeal. I predict it will be very hard to leave, harder that you can imagine right now, esp. if mom is a true JW. I can assure you that the reward of leaving is so great words can't do it adequate justice. Your life can be so rich. I've been out since sixteen, many decades ago. Sometimes I pause what I am doing and reflect what my life was like as a Witness. Despite severe adversity, my life is blessed.
Another point is that someone sought advice for an employment situation to cover time as a Witness. I can't fully formulate it here but the same traits that make Witness life hell can be very valuable traits minus the mind control. I struggled so hard. It was a finite period. Life was better than I ever imagined it could be as a Witness. And I've had unusual adversities. Walk is my advice but walk smartly.
