Proud Owner of a Moldy Toilet

Back in April 2021, I was a wreck. I was finishing my bachelor's degree. I had just broken up with my boyfriend. I spent my nights sobbing through all-nighters while typing away at assignments that I didn't care about. My heart was crushed, my brain was in panic mode, and my soul had lost hope that I would ever really get the things I truly wanted in life. 

Fast forward to June/ July 2022. Things were worse, not better. I woke up angry, went to bed angry, and spent the days feeling like Ted from Scrubs, wanting to throw rocks at old couples and screaming inside my head, "Why should they be happy?!" I posted about my anger previously when I let everyone know I was starting the travel nursing thing up again. I needed a change, to get out of Utah, and to figure some stuff out about myself and my life. 

I've done a lot since then. I've traveled a lot in the last couple years. I've lived in Oregon, California, and Connecticut. I vacationed with friends in Germany, Switzerland, France, Austria for a few minutes by accident after a wrong turn, Thailand, Bali, Singapore, and Greece. I've lived in people's backyards, guest suites, and spare bedrooms, complete with tiny airplane-sized bathrooms and "kitchens" that comprised of a hot plate and a microwave. I've met people from all walks of life, including some business-savvy surfing Germans, a man from Tibet who used to be part of the group of bodyguards for the Dalai Lama, and a homeless guy in San Francisco who gave solid sightseeing tips. There have still been ups and downs, but all in all it's been a fun and wild couple of years. 

Travel nursing was always part of a bigger plan, though. For the first time in my life, I started planning ahead more than a couple months in advance. It's lead me to the next part of my life: being a homeowner in Oregon. I'm so excited to say that all the inconveniences of travel nursing have paid off in the form of a house that I just bought in a cool neighborhood in Oregon! 

I love it here, and I love my new-to-me house. Robyn and Kelly loaded up my stuff from my storage unit in Utah and brought everything to me. It's been so nice to have all my stuff together in one place. It's incredible to have a place to call my own. The house may have come with a moldy toilet, asbestos in the ceiling, and a handful of spiders, but they're MY moldy toilet, MY asbestos, and MY spiders. 

                     Isn't it cute??

                           Pretty flowers out front

            My first time in my very empty house as the owner

            Robyn and Kelly helping me fix stuff, aka fixing it for me because I don't know how

Fun DIY by the previous owner of paint slapped over some duct tape to fix a hole

There could be worse surprises to find in a closet

Robyn always leaves me deodorant love notes on my mirror

Trying to replace the moldy toilet (and ending up calling the plumber anyway)

More fixing things

                     More learning things 

                     More buying things

Thank goodness it all fits

Celebrating that it's a livable space now

One tired Kelly, one tired Robyn, and one tired pup

My life isn't at all what I expected it to be, and I still have intense feelings about that.  However, I'm grateful to have had lots of crazy experiences the last couple of years. I'm grateful that I don't wake up mad anymore. Right now, I'm just super excited for my new house, spiders and all.