"Why on Earth did you ever move back to Oregon?" This is something I am often asked by people when they learn about my prior life as a Floridian. To answer, here is a little peak at my life in the Sunshine State.
- I moved over there as a recent college graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree, ready to begin a successful career with Disney doing who knows what!
- My apartment complex told me rent would be X amount when I was applying to live there. Upon arrival to move in rent was actually X + $150. I really had no choice but to pay since I was there with my life packed in a U-Haul and didn't know a soul.
- I began working for Disney running a ride as an intern for about $6/hour, and not always 40 hours per week. Soon I would become full-time, slightly increasing my hourly page, plus I was a trainer which was a slight bonus on training days, but still not enough for a normal person to live off of.
- The *insert colorful explicative here* I lived with couldn't hold down a job so I was trying to pay for rent, a car, gas, food, utilities, vet bills, hospital bills, etc, all on basically a nothing weekly paycheck.
- We had only one season - Summer - with 2 weeks of winter. I really missed having 4 seasons and seeing the colors change.
- I knew I wanted to get a divorce, and I wanted to have the support of family when I did it. Kinda hard to totally get that when you are 3000 miles away.
- I want to eventually have a child, and there was no way I was raising an innocent little child in Central Florida - putting her through the public schools down there!
- Along those same lines, I wanted to be sure I had family close to me when I had my baby. The thought of a Florida daycare still freaks me out! I watch those shows on TV - all the bad stuff happens in Florida!!
Putting all of these things together - setting aside the fun and friends - I just knew the right decision for long term success and happiness was to leave Florida and get a clean start on my life over in Oregon. It absolutely broke my heart to tell my Disney managers that I was moving. I had been promoted to an office with my own desk and air conditioning. I loved my job so much and was on track with my Disney goals, but struggling to get by every week, trying to figure out how to survive financially off of less than $9 per hour (that's AFTER a promotion and raises!!!) .... I just couldn't do it anymore.
Plus I really wanted a dog! :-)
And that's how I ended up back home. It really was the best decision and I have no regrets! I have my little cottage with my cat and my dog. The *explicative* is no longer around destroying my life. I have a different job that I really enjoy. I make enough money to actually be able to vacation a couple of times per year. Things are good. ..... The baby I moved home for and painted my old room a baby color for .... well, she's not here yet. Hopefully some day!
I so get that......If I'd have had *any* choice, I never would have gone through a divorce and a had a baby in a foreign country, so I think it shows a strong person to get out before you've made other decsions (like having a baby) that make relocation something you can no longer decide on your own. I enjoy the blog, even if I'm not a frequent commenter! :-)
ReplyDeleteI didn't even know you'd been married. I can completely understand why you'd move back. I wouldn't raise a baby down there either.
ReplyDeleteYeah - I keep the whole divorce thing on the down low. I am in denial about that whole part of my life. We refer to that dreaded day I wore the poofy white dress as a "party" where family and friends came over. We gloss over what it really was. Ugh, Gross.
ReplyDelete