Move In Day

On August 20, 2016, I moved into my new apartment. For months I had lived as homeless, sleeping from place to place. I yearned and prayed for a place of my own.

November 10, 2015 was the day I moved out of my last apartment because my lease had ended. I didn't have the money to renew the lease, and I had no place to go. I trashed, sold, gave away, or stored all of my belongings and prepared to live wherever I could.

I started my homeless adventure by sleeping on the couches of my ex-roommate and then a friend. When time ran out at those places, I moved to the shopping cart that I called home for the next couple of weeks.

Around mid December 2015, I was offered a spot sleeping on the floor of my friend's spare room. I soon set up an air mattress and stayed there for about 2 months.

From February to August last year, I lived in a hotel. It was expensive, but cozy and close to work. Then, about 3 weeks before I moved into my new apartment, I moved out of the hotel and slept on my cousin's couch in order to save money for the move in fees.

My cousin was a tremendous help with moving into my apartment. She had lived in the complex for several months and thought that I could benefit from the cheap rent and utilities. In fact, my cousin helped me throughout the entire moving process.

After she helped me to find the apartment, she submitted my application and initial fees and helped me move out of the hotel. And, on move in day, my cousin helped me move my belongings that were crowding her dining room, into my own.

My cousin was and always is very helpful, not only to me but to whomever needs assistance. Shout out to my amazing cousin Amelia! I love you!!

So now, I have been blessed with my own place. Honestly, it's not the type of neighborhood that I would usually choose to live in. It's not the type of apartment that I would usually choose for myself. It is nice and quite livable, though. It is cozy and has great potential.

I've been in the apartment for about six months, now. I don't have any furniture and I am sleeping on an air mattress. I'm eating off of paper plates, drinking out of plastic cups and using plastic silverware.

I decided to live this way, for now, in an attempt to save money and start an emergency fund. I'm thankful and content with how I live and what I have. I am just enjoying having a place of my own.

This is not it for me, though. I will only live this way temporarily while I work to achieve my dreams. I don't mind sacrificing my comfort to pursue my purpose. And I'm well on my way.