Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Independence

I haven't posted in awhile because I've been busy packing and getting ready for the big move. H2B and I planned out our visits for August and September so that I would be in Baltimore alone the weekends before and after the move for packing/unpacking/settling in. Saturday afternoon I was feeling super bummed out; it's so depressing to sit on the couch amongst boxes and suitcases. A friend of mine (Hi Lauren!) asked me to go out with her and some other friends on Saturday night. I ended up not going (all my going out clothes were packed and you KNOW how hard it is for me to motivate myself to leave the house after dark) and I'm glad I stayed at home.

I realized at some point over the course of the evening that this was my last weekend night alone in a home that was just mine (H2B and I are both on the lease for the new place, even though he won't be moving in for a few months). I ordered pizza and opened a bottle of wine and watched bad TV movies while I pondered the past four years. I've lived in six places, had eight roommates, worked in three offices, and have learned to navigate four cities on two coasts, all on my own. I've grown up quite a bit since I graduated from college.

A blog that I read religiously, Working Girl, had a post today about financial independence. My parents always made it clear that once I graduated from college, that was it, the Bank of Mom & Dad was closed. It was so scary at first, but I can't tell you how much I appreciate being able to function on my own. Not just financially, but in each of those four cities, I built a life for myself. And I've been pretty happy with the life I've built for myself here in Baltimore.

As I sat there thinking about how far I've come and how good the past four years have been, I'm equally happy to see where the next four, ten, and twenty years will take me. And I'm excited that H2B will be there with me this time around.

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