Islam Gave Me the Peace I Was Missing

Assalamu alaikum everyone, I just wanted to open up about something that’s been on my heart lately. I grew up in a family that didn’t really practice any religion, so faith was never part of my world. But recently, I started looking into Islam, and subhanAllah, it’s touched me in ways I never expected. The biggest change? I’m not feeling emotionally empty like before. For years, I was just going through the motions, disconnected from myself and everything around me. Now, alhamdulillah, I feel more alive, more in the moment, and there’s this calm inside me that’s hard to put into words. It’s like something deep within finally found its way home. I’d say I’m pretty close, maybe 80% sure, that I want to embrace Islam. But honestly, it’s not simple. My parents probably wouldn’t take it well if they knew, and there’s no masjid anywhere near my town, so I feel a bit alone in all this. That brings me to something I’ve been wondering: if I do decide to take the step, can I say the shahada by myself, without a mosque or witnesses? Or is it better to do it formally somewhere? I’m still learning, taking it slow, but I felt like sharing and maybe hearing from anyone who’s walked this path before. Jazakum Allahu khayr for reading.