So, after about six months, have I had some good moments and memories with my grandma? Yes, I have. Like the time we miscommunicated and ended up with enough chicken to feed a Third World country. Oh, how we laughed about that. Or the time we went to Burger King together and I made her wear a crown all the way home in the car. Yes. Yes, I did. And she looked fabulous. Or the time, we shared our salvation testimonies with each other in the car. Such sweet times. These are all memories that I will cherish and this time has been instrumental for me, in getting to know my grandmother better, as a person, not just as a familial figure in my life.
Have there been some not so good times? Of course. It's always a transition moving in with someone else and trying to find a rhythm for your daily life and routine. But I think overall, we did pretty well. We haven't killed each other at any rate. :)
I'd like to take this time to let everyone know that this chapter in my life appears to be ending. Yes, you heard me right, I'm moving on.
I have felt for some time that God gave me the OK to move somewhere else. I had wanted it for so long, you see, and then God gave me a peace and a contentment about staying here, so I let go of that dream. I figured it wasn't meant to be. Then, about two years ago, I was looking at jobs online and saw one in a far away city and thought: "That one looks good, but it's too far away." I started to move to the next posting and then I thought: "Wait... why is it too far away? Why couldn't I just move?" and I suddenly felt such a peace about moving. It was like God spoke to me and said "I just wanted you to see that you can be happy here, first. NOW it's okay for you to move."
So I began praying about where God might have me move and looking at where the best jobs were, etc. But I still had no idea where I would go. About three months after that, I reconnected with a high school friend who lives in New York City who suggested I move there. At first, the thought of it was ludicrous. "I can't move there. It's too expensive. Too far away. Too ______" fill in the blank. I kind of laughed it off, but after a few months of considering it, I suddenly thought "Why SHOULDN'T I move there?" Job opportunities galore and all kinds of art and culture and not to mention, lots of people my age, who are in the same stage of life. Churches and ministries where I could be involved and serve with people like me. Don't get me wrong. I love my church and the people there. They've been such a blessing to me. But there's a spot in my heart that yearns for the fellowship of single people my age, who are in the same stage of life as I am and that is sadly lacking here.
Side note: I know what you're thinking right now. You're thinking "oh, she just wants to get married." In part, you're right. Haha I do want that, but it's really more than that. I'm such a people person and I enjoy having lots of people around me. Lots of friends. I miss working at camp and being at college where I was surrounded by people who were in the same phase of life as I was and who were great encouragements to me. And lots of fun to be around. If I find a guy and ended up getting married, it's just a bonus. But that is not the main reason for my move. Also... gentlemen... the line forms to the right. ;)
So, early 2013 I began praying about moving NYC. Mulling it over in my mind. I spoke with a few friends. Some who had lived in a city before, about how they thought I might do, living in such an atmosphere. The general consensus was that I would love it. That I would thrive. So, I decided I wanted to pursue it, but I wanted to visit first and get a feel for the city. So, I went and visited and I had a fabulous time! I enjoyed getting to see the touristy things, but I also enjoyed walking around in individual boroughs and really seeing the heart of the city. It made the biggest city in the country feel almost small. I knew as soon as I left this was where I wanted to be.
So, I started saving and planning and trying to figure out how this was going to happen. There were times I thought it would never happen. I wanted to give up because how naïve was I, to think that I could actually do this? I must be insane, right? But now that moment is here and it looks like this is going to happen very soon. I'm looking like mad for a job there. Even if I don't have one, I'm still going. I worked at a dry cleaners when I was at Purdue Cal and I worked at McDonald's before that. I can do that again. I'm willing to work part time jobs until I find a job that fits me. But an accounting job or a administrative job is what I'm really hoping to find.
I'm going to take this next section to answer some frequently asked questions, although knowing how things typically work on social media, I expect I'll probably still get asked these, but here goes:
Question 1: How will you afford living there? It's so expensive!
Answer: What people don't realize about living in the city is that while some things are more expensive, other things are very VERY cheap. Ex. Right now I am paying about $750-800 a month just for my car. That includes my car payment, car insurance, any maintenance, and any gas costs. That's a huge chunk of my income. Living in the city, I'll be able to use public transportation and cut that cost by more than 50 percent. That's going to help me tremendously.
Question 2: Where are you going to live? Isn't rent like a billion dollars?
Answer: Right now, I have a tentative, temporary sublet in a safe neighborhood that has been arranged for me by a friend. That will give me time to find my bearings until I can figure out where to go from there. Also, rent is pretty expensive. Not gonna lie. But it's kind of expensive in NW Indiana, too. I've been looking at places on Zillow to prepare myself for what to expect. But if I get a decent job, I should be just fine.
Question 3: Isn't that really far away from your family?
Answer: Yes. It's pretty far. But I think some distance will be good for me, allowing me be independent for the first time in my life. I need to stretch my wings and see what I can do (No, I didn't not steal that last bit from Frozen. That's really how I feel). I'd also like to point out that flights between New York and Chicago occur on a daily basis. If I need to get home, I can do so.
Question 4: But... I'm gonna miss you!!
Answer: I'm gonna miss you, too! Seriously. I have some of the greatest friends ever and the thought of them being so far away saddens me, but... now you'll have a really great excuse to come and visit New York City... ME!
I go between being completely freaked and being completely pumped. The unknown is always, well... unknown. That's what makes it slightly terrifying. But, if I don't ever risk anything then what's the point?
I wanna tell you a story. About a girl who was scared to death, but went down to North Carolina one summer to work at a camp she'd never been to, with people she'd never met before. The girl cried most of the way down and was convinced she was going to be horrible at this whole counseling thing and that she wouldn't have any friends and that she was going to be a big failure. Guess what happened... That was girl was me (if you hadn't figured that bit out) and I loved being there so much that I cried when I had to come home and ended up going back to work there for four more summers. I have friends there who are so dear to me, and I learned immeasurable truths from God's Word that have helped shape my Christian beliefs and have shaped me as a person.
The moral of the story is this: Sometimes, you have to jump anyway. It might be different. It might be scary. It might be so far outside of anything you can imagine or comprehend, but the results/rewards will be so worth it. I wanna look back on my life as an old woman and go "Wow. I can't believe I did that!" Not "Wow. I wasted opportunities."
Get ready, New York City... I'm coming!
♥Rebekah
PS: I need to rename this blog to reflect where I'm going. Any suggestions?
