Thankful for Nov. 26, 2009

I spent Thanksgiving and Black Friday of 2009 moving out of my precious condo. I had wanted to move out two weeks earlier, but I was struck with illness and then needed to wait for my newly ordered bed to be shipped back to my old hot pink bedroom at my mom’s house. The holiday was the perfect time to begin loading boxes out, as the man I unfortunately married was at his parents’ home and I had the place to myself.

That condo was the first time I moved out of my mom’s house. When I first moved in, it was the condo of hopes and dreams. I felt liberated to finally have a place of my own and was so excited to decorate. I put so much attention into every little detail- from coat hooks to placemats for the dog food bowls. But it never became “home” because there were never any warm, loving feelings between those walls. The couch represented sadness because every time we sat on it, he pushed me away. The dining table just stood as a reminder that we never ate our meals together. In fact, we were rarely in the same room together. We were like roommates, not husband and wife. Not the way I imagined my happily ever after playing out.

I’m proud that I had the courage to walk out on that life and give myself the opportunity to start over. This Thanksgiving will be the second one I celebrate with my boyfriend Frank. We’re going to eat with his family and then head over to my brother and his girlfriend’s for dessert. They are hosting their first holiday this year, so it’s really cute. I’m looking forward to the day Frank and I are settled in our new place, spreading cheer and enjoying Frank’s gourmet cooking with friends and family. I’ll do the dishes, as usual!