The Long, Long Journey to a Home at Last

For those who have not kept up with this blog and the trials and tribulations of the last few years of my life, this is a recap and some thoughts on finally having a home again.

In May of 2011, I left the house I had lived in since 1997, and thought I would live in forever. I lost it for a lot of reasons I won't go into here. I broke my wrist before I ever climbed into the moving truck and drove 3 hours to Gainesville with said broken wrist because I didn't have a choice. Since then, it seems my whole life has been about doing what I had to do to survive because I didn't have a choice.

I left Gainesville 7 months later, because I lost my job and the apartment that I truly loved turned out to be so full of mold that I got very sick. I had to sell most of what I owned to get the money to move, and still, I could not find a place to live in Gainesville because I didn't have enough money for rent and deposit, even on a single room. I ended up back in SW Florida, stuck in a place that was, to be kind, less than desirable. I planned to stay 6 months and ended up being there for over 2 years.

I was forced out of that place and finally made it back to Gainesville, but only to a temporary home. After searching for months for some place to live that I could afford, I met a wonderful man whose one goal was to give me a forever home. He came in response to my Craigslist ad, and has been an angel every since.

After 39 months of hell and four moves costing thousands of dollars, I will finally have a home again. I won't be living in someone else's home, using their things, sleeping in their bed. I can finally unpack all my boxes and set up house somewhere where I am in charge and don't have to put up with stinky people or smelly animals or overgrown yards or a bedroom and bath that are construction zones.

Everything that I have gone through has led me here -- to this tiny 728 sf house on .12 acres of land -- just enough for a tiny urban homestead. Is it ideal? Well, honestly, some people would gasp if they saw the neighborhood, but it's a neighborhood of hard-working people with all the same money problems I have, who are struggling the same as me and understand hard times. I don't want to live in a rich neighborhood behind walls and fences. I want to live in a "real" neighborhood.

I have very little left from my prior life; not much furniture, no small kitchen appliances, and no washer/dryer, but that is just "stuff." I managed through it all to hold on to what was important, and I needed to get rid of some junk anyway. Yes, I will be "stomp washing" my clothes and hanging them on the back clothesline for a while, but hey -- if washboards and line drying was good enough for my grandmother, it's good enough for me. I can live without a microwave and toaster oven for awhile. I WILL be getting a coffee maker ASAP, though. Instant coffee just doesn't get it for very long.

When I had everything I could possibly need, I was bored and said many times "Getting stuff is the fun part. Once you have it, life is just boring." So now I will get to do the fun part again.

I am finally starting my new adventure. I've moved 4 times in 39 months at a huge cost to me financially, physically and mentally. Let's hope this one sticks. Who knows what tomorrow will bring, but for me, I know it's bringing a time I never thought I would see again, and that's enough for now.

Image Credit: Darren Hester via Morguefile.com