Homefront: I'm Going to Miss This Place

 I'm going to miss this place. We have been here for 6 months. It's a 2 bedroom apartment, but we got very lucky. This little room right there, is the patio. But, on the 3rd floor layout, it is an enclosed extra room. I love the massive window, the extra space for my little computer area.  Just when I was starting to feel settle, deciding on window treatments and maybe even a new computer chair... my husband lost his job.



The reason we got this place, is because we also got a great discount on it from his employer. So, not only did our income become zero, our rent went up a few hundred dollars. Fortunately, since he was non-disciplinary terminated due to no fault of his own, we get some unemployment, though we only have 4 weeks of it left. And our wonderful church has helped us out with groceries, and keeping us encouraged as well.



 So, in a few weeks, our family of 4 will be moving in with the in-laws. We've done it before when we were pregnant with our first. At that time, we decided not to renew our lease on the 400 sq ft apartment we were in so we could get a 2 bedroom for the new baby. Just as we were going to put down a deposit on a place we had been looking at, Hurricane Katrina hit and all of the evacuees came here and took all available apartments. We were homeless and moved in with the in-laws for several months. It was rough.

Fortunately, they are kind and gracious people, but that doesn't mean things will be easy. I will miss all that we have built together and wondering how and where we will end up. Starting out all over again is difficult. Not to mention living out of a bedroom with most all of our belongings in storage is hard enough. And being cramped and not feeling like the ruler of your own home is difficult, though I will focus less on that and more on how grateful I am of all that we do have. I am fully aware things could be much worse.

Our home is more than a place... it was a start of something new, a joy, finally feeling like we had a fresh start and things were just beginning to take off. We were just beginning to make friends and find ourselves out here. I had finally decided on what I was going to finish college in, so that is going to have to wait again.

Our oldest was about to start preschool for the first time. It was the first time in the last 7 years we have felt settled and in a city where we were known for us and not as our parent's children.

Before we go, I'm going to do what I can to remember it. Before we pack everything in boxes, I am going to try and finish what projects I can without having to buy anything. Then I can leave here with no regrets.

So, expect to see lots of pictures of this place in the next few weeks. Then, when I am feeling sad and alone and crazy, I can remember that I did have a home at one point in time. I did have dreams and they were starting to come true. Maybe it will help me remember that it can happen again.

Besides, it will be good to leave this city. I won't have the temptation of going and throwing rotten eggs at my husband's jerk of a former boss's office window. And, I suppose, that is a good thing.