It's been more than 6 months since I sat down to start a post - and I was feeling extremely guilty for not having anything to talk about.
Until now...
On June 8th, a tree next to the house I was renting got struck by lightning and flew into the house. Everyone was unharmed, but there was extensive damage to the house. As of last Friday, my (former) landlord said that he was unable to hire a contractor because insurance was disputing the adjuster's figures. Which makes NO sense, as the adjuster works for them - but insurance has always baffled me. This could mean that he will probably never move back into this house, and once it's done, rent it out - both apartments. The fact that he can't even start to hire a contractor blows my mind!
I didn't post much about it on social media because I wasn't ready to open up about the trauma that followed. I am still not ready to discuss it - but I am ready to finally share what's happened since these pictures were taken.
When everything happened, I panicked - HARD. I had no family to turn to with a car load of my life, so I packed up and went to stay at Ashley's parents' for the night. I am beyond grateful that they welcomed me into their home, gave me a place to store my valuables, and embraced me as another one of their children. I've known them for a LONG time (more than half my life at this point) - and living as I have for the last 6 years, with my own parents 800 miles away, I felt comforted.
What happened following the initial damage would make me step into another level of healing and understanding I thought I didn't need. A LOT of growth happened over the 10 weeks and 4 days that would follow.
The summer would roll on, and I would couch surf (ok stay in guest bedrooms, but still...) every week - living somewhere new every 7-10 days. Toss in a vacation, then a brief (and when I say brief, they cut my stay in HALF... thanks insurance) stay at a hotel, and then more couch surfing for 3 weeks.
After what felt like an unending cycle of apartment viewings and getting nowhere, I landed on the cutest apartment in Derry, NH! I was hoping the insurance company would let me stay in the hotel until moving day - but just like everything else this summer - that didn't pan out. So, I crashed with some of the most amazing humans for 3 more weeks.
As of this past Saturday, I can say after a long (and often emotionally & mentally exhausting) 10 weeks and 4 days that I am HOME.
The best part about this past weekend wasn't actually the moving though...
My PARENTS surprised me Friday morning by standing on the front steps of my new apartment and FaceTiming me to see if I could run to my car. Not only did they surprise me and bring some of the best homemade baked goods - but they also helped out with moving on Saturday. (I have not seen them in person since Christmas... and it has been extremely difficult through all of this to be so far away from them!)
To say thank you to the following people does not seem like near enough - and I will forever be trying to repay their kindness.
Matt & Laura - Thank you for not only letting me live in your house twice during all this and love on your beautiful babies, but for being the MOST helpful on the moving crew this weekend. You both are such a blessing in my life - and I am forever grateful for ya!
Steph & TJ - thank YOU for also letting me live in your home twice AND making me feel like I had lived there all along. Dinners with you two were always a blast! I cannot thank you two enough for the love and support through it all!
Meg & Anthony - thank you for helping with the move on Saturday, for helping run stuff from storage during the week, and ESPECIALLY for helping me move stuff out of Haverhill right after everything happened. I don't know that I would have survived that overwhelming afternoon. Or this past Saturday with all the hiccups, for that matter.
Kyle & Genneane - thank you for all your help on Saturday. Kyle - your hidden engineering talents were beyond helpful, and I am so glad you were able to help... oh and that you too were surprised that Mom and Dad were here.. that was hard to keep from you! Genneane - thank you for tackling my kitchen - it is probably the most organized kitchen I have ever had (and I have lived in places with some organized kitchens!).
Beals - thank you for all your help on Saturday! I know Mike appreciates your help too. I promise to have plenty of buffalo chicken dip on Friday, and maybe a scone or two left!
Mom & Dad - surprising Kyle and I this weekend was everything my soul needed after this summer. Thank you for EVERYTHING this weekend, especially playing U-Haul after everything fell through. Thank you for loving me from afar through all of this, and for pulling off the best surprise I could have possibly asked for.
Thank you again to everyone who offered help on Saturday, who offered a place for me to crash this summer, who checked in on me while I was house hopping, and who just loved me where I was at, at that moment in time. This is something I never imagined would happen - let alone take as long as it did.
Finally... in case you missed the post from Saturday on Facebook...
Mike and I are now living together here in Derry! That conversation might be shared at a later time - but it was a really sweet little chat. Not many people knew it was happening, because I didn't want to put all of my business out there. I kept most of this mess off socials because I was having a hard time navigating it. The discussion to move in together was so joyful - I wanted to keep it to myself a little longer.
It's still something we are getting used to - but so far, so good! Neither of us has ever lived with a significant other - so there will definitely be some growing pains and changes - but it's nothing we can't handle.
This next step in my journey is uncharted, exciting, and terrifying all at once. It did not come easy, as I often wrestled with what I wanted to do, and how I was handling the magnitude of the situation. I am someone who thinks things through before doing them - preparing for every possible scenario. Except when it comes to U-Haul dropping the ball or a desk not fitting through a doorway.. but now I have experience! Haha!
Some of the next steps in my life may surprise many - especially on Facebook. I hardly post there anymore, but I also don't post much about my life anymore. I am more than happy to share updates with anyone who asks for them, but putting everything out there like before is not going to happen.
Stay tuned for another update within the coming months. This one is going to be focused around plans for next year - and how you can be a part of it. It's very exciting and once all of the info is ironed out, I will share more!
Until next post 😎
Comments
Post a Comment