It's funny how as soon as I moved into my own apartment, a friend was bewildered as to why I didn't immediately write about it in this blog. I got a good laugh outta it. Not that it should be surprising, but folks that know me can set their clocks to some of my habits.
Initially, I wasn't gonna write about moving into my own apartment. I felt it was to obvious and predictable, but after talking to a few folks about the experience and transition, I felt compelled to share my thoughts now. It was talking it out with folks that I started seeing things from another angle that is unseen to me.
So the gist of it is that I have my own apartment. It comes with crazy loud neighbors who scream and get into fights at all hours of the night. Roaches that seem to come out of thin air and decor that could be suitable for a straight to DVD horror movie. But it's all mine. I'm no longer crashing on someones couch, sleeping on their floor, sharing a room with three or more individuals, over staying my welcome, taking quick showers, taking up space or any of the stuff I've experienced all these years.
Not to mention the fact that never in my life have I ever really had my own space. I've always shared it with family, friends or room mates. The fact that I'm the only person staying in the little room seems like a foreign concept at times, but it's a big step forward for me.
Through the stable job that I currently have, I'm able to be more independent that I've ever been in the past. And I'm truly enjoying the experience. For the last few days I've been going through my stuff and cleaning things out and rediscovering others. I finally have chance to hang all of the art work I've been keeping in storage for years.
At the same time though, I have countless friends who've supported me and helped me get where I am right now. At on point or another, they offered their couch, rooms and floor for me to crash on for days, weeks and months. They've been there when it counted the most and because of that support, it makes my place that much more meaningful.
Even today, I had help running some errands and picking up a fridge from a second hand store. I guess when I stop to think about things and how much I've been able to grow in the last couple of years, I'm glad that I'm still moving forward and making progress. No matter how hard things get, as long as I can continue moving forward, everything will come into place sooner or later.
