Home Is Where I Wanna Be

The church is my old home.

 This is my new home. It's larger than it looks.

Sometimes there are good endings to bad stories. I'm one of the lucky ones.

I've been back from California for a week. I wasn't happy to leave the warm winter weather, but who would be? It was time to come home. The problem was I didn't really have a home...yet.

First stop was a trip to see my therapist. Always good to check in and make sure I'm mentally sound. That's still to be determined.

Step two was why I needed step one. I was going to the YMCA. OY!

This YMCA has residences. I spent a few months there before I could get into the shelter. You know it's bad when you're happy to move into a shelter.

People who are happy singing it's fun to stay at the YMCA have never lived there.

I have an interview with the housing director and what I expected to take five minutes takes more than an hour. Then I need to meet with the Y's Case Manager. Sigh!

"We'll call you to set up an appointment."

OMG! I'm already depressed about living at this place and it'll be at least another week before I can get in. I'm going to need another year of therapy.

My brother works down the street from the Y, so I walk over there to chat and catch up. He tells me about these apartments that he looked at earlier. They're right down the street. It couldn't hurt to take a look, right?

It's an older building but the apartments have been refurbished. Everything in the studio is new. Hardwood floors, new appliances, a nice bathroom.

It's out of my price range but we cut a deal. I fill out the paperwork and 24 hours later, I have the keys to a new place.

Am I one of the lucky ones? Absolutely and I've known this for a long time. Even while I was living at the shelter I knew this.

Not only did I get support from my family but I had quite a few offers to sleep on couches and extra bedrooms. Some from people I don't know very well. Pretty amazing.

I moved in last Thursday and it was a little overwhelming. You would have thought I'd be a little more excited but maybe I was just tired from a long journey. I'm still catching up on my sleep.

On Friday, I started my first weekend in my new place. Most people use the weekend to go to a movie, dinner out, maybe a date or watch tv and relax. I spend that night eating dinner at my old home, with my old friends.

While things turned out good for me, it was the same old same old for my friends. Not one of them has left in the month I've been gone. I worry about them...a lot! They'll always be my people.

My story isn't done but things are looking good. This is a big step forward when I thought I was taking a big one back. I'm grateful. But I still need to be careful.

I think I'm going to catch a nap. It's nice to have a home so I can do that.

This is another in a year long series called Faces of Homelessness. While my story is done, I have a lot more to tell. Keep reading and thanks.

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