What a Year It's Been!

Exactly one year ago today, around 4am, I gathered up my few belongings from the Extended Stay America, dragged the cats into their carriers and loaded everything I owned into my car and left California. I was in Las Vegas by breakfast time, out of Utah by dinner, and resting at a rest stop in Nebraska when the time change happened. I pulled into the familiar driveway of the apartment building in Chicago around 5:30pm on Sunday, unloaded the cats (who had been very well behaved through the journey) and went out and got a Lou Malnati's pizza, which I ate by the light of a string of Christmas lights. This was my time to start over. My time to leave the bad things that happened in California behind. To come "home."

In the past year I've reconnected with old friends, gotten a job I never thought I would have, made new friends, lost weight, and really gotten back to being Robin. It hasn't been easy. My car got repossessed in January. When I got my job in March I had a negative balance in my bank account that had been negative for probably 2 months. I was relying on Eric's mom to buy me food and pay my bus fare to go to job interviews. When I first got back, I had 2 pairs of shoes, 1 pair of jeans, and one bra. Slowly, but surely things got better. I got some new furniture, a new TV, a microwave, and was able to start replacing my kitchen stuff that I had left behind. My job allowed me to buy my own groceries, pay my own bus fare and even get some new clothes. I was able to buy a new a/c unit and a TV for the bedroom. I was able to get cable TV again and a new iPhone. I could even go out to dinner or go see a movie. The job also helped with the weight loss. Being a deckhand was a lot more physical than I ever imagined but it has been so much fun. I've met great people and made some really good friends. I go out after work for drinks, I go to movies, I joined a fantasy football league, I participate in a gaming group with co-workers.

So, one year later, I got up this morning, fed the cats, ordered some groceries, cooked breakfast and watched TV by the light of an actual lamp. I've moved forward this year. I've done a lot more than just coming home. I still have a way to go, but that way is definitely up!