Two months ago, I decided that I wanted to do something else. You know when you get the feeling where nothing is working out for you and if you ever had the change to start over fresh and new, you would take advantage of the offer? I didn't like my job. I hated the commute, which was two hours long everyday to and from work. I hated the long 50+ hours I worked each week. I never went out because all of my friends lived back home in Joplin, Missouri. It was difficult to make new friends because I was working during prime friend-making public hours. I hated the weather! It was either too hot or not hot enough. I didn't like my apartment, it was too far from downtown and most importantly, and I didn't like Austin, TX. Most people would assume that I was just stressed and my vacation was long overdue. However, I knew I wanted to move, but where? I didn't know. My parents wanted me to move back home because it was practical; I could finish school, they could provide for me, and see me everyday. I thought it was very nice of them to offer, but what twenty-two year old wants to live at home? Not one. Besides, I had been working very hard for a very long time; I had a lot of money saved up. I started doing research on where the best places to live in 2010 where to see what information I could find. Many places seemed appealing, especially locations near the beach. I knew that I needed to make a list of what I wanted out of my future destination. First, I knew it was east coast vs. west coast. I realized I didn't want to drive anymore. I loved my car, but gas was expensive, especially with my daily four-hour commute. I wanted to live in a city, not a huge city, but a city with modern amenities, great quality of life, and public transportation. I put an ad out on Craigslist to sell my car. Then, I started narrowing down the list: New York was too big, I didn’t want to live in the South, California was too expensive to live on my own, Colorado was a contender, but I wasn’t sure of the climate. Washington was almost a winner, but it rained too much. Then bam, Oregon popped up. It had everything on my list! I started making all of the arrangements. I moved out of my apartment by giving the property management company a sixty-day notice and losing my deposit. I stayed with my parents for a while and had a yard sale. I sold all my furniture and belongings. What I didn't sell, I gave away to family and friends, who needed it. I kept only the essentials: clothing, shoes, a computer, and luggage. I bought my plane ticket for $175 bucks. I found a cute two bedroom online on Craigslist, sent the deposit, and signed the lease via Internet. It was very nerve-racking for me because I prayed I was getting what I saw in the pictures. I guess if it hadn’t worked out perfectly, it would have been only a year, right? During the huge snowstorm in Missouri, I drove to Tulsa and boarded my plane at six in the morning. The roads were incredibly bad and I remember someone telling me a few people died within that week traveling. I flew into Colorado, which had EVEN more snow on the ground (I was very happy about my decision then!) and caught the next flight to Portland, OR. I had to get a cab to take me to my new apartment because I had six pieces of luggage. I felt bad for the driver because I didn’t think everything would fit into his cab, but I didn’t want to take the train because I barely managed to get my entire luggage from the airport. On the way, I had a small panic attack because I realized how much was changing. When I arrived, I got the keys and went into my new apartment. I immediately was relived because it was exactly what I was expecting. What I didn’t realize in all of my planning was that I didn’t plan for any new furniture to arrive? I had to go that day after a ten-hour flight and buy furniture that could be delivered the very day for me to use. More next week.
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