I was feeling nostalgic last night...

[wocket]

So I logged in again, for the first time in...I don't even know how many years. And, wow, y'all are still here? Ridiculous.

Anyway, here's a quick synopsis of the last ~10 or so years:

-New Year's Eve 2008, my father was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. Christmas Day 2009, he passed away.
-2 months before he died, my best friend ghosted me because, quote, she "couldn't deal" with how angry and moody I was at the time.
-I dropped out of college in 2009. Went back and finished my undergraduate degree in social work in 2011.
-I tried going into an MSW program immediately. The first semester, I was on the honor roll. The second semester, I failed 3 classes and was dismissed from the program.
-Did you know that ADHD is a thing and that girls and women can have it? My parents didn't! But around the time I failed out of grad school, my sister and her older daughter were diagnosed with it, which prompted me to be assessed as well. And after doing a bunch of reading on the condition, my entire life makes a lot more sense.
-After struggling to make ends meet with my first post-college job (working with kids in their homes and schools to reach goals outlined for them in a behavior plan - it was $14 an hour and I was lucky to get 15 hours a week), I somehow stumbled my way into the public sector. I've been doing eligibility for public assistance programs (food stamps, Medicaid, TANF, etc.) ever since.

In 2014 I moved out to Berkeley, CA. I fell in love with the area back in 2007, when I flew out there to meet surc (we still talk occasionally, btw. He's doing well!), and in 2014 I was finally in a financially stable place where I could afford a cross-country move.

Literally about a month after moving out to the Bay, I met my husband. He's great!
I have a close knit circle of friends out here in CA. They're great!

In 2016, I decided I was ready to go back to grad school, but I didn't want an MSW. So now I have an MPP (Public Policy). 2016 is also the year I married my husband - and when I finished converting to Judaism, a process that took over a year of study with two different rabbis. If you ever have the chance to go to school full-time, work full-time, plan a wedding, and convert to Judaism all in the same year, I absolutely do not recommend it.

...This got long. Sorry, I'll wrap it up. I'm currently in the process of moving out of the Bay Area (because the rent is killing us). In my usual fashion, I'm doing things completely backwards: I started a job, and now I'm looking for a place in the area. I'm in an Air BNB for the week while my husband is back in the Bay, packing and cleaning.

And that's it! How's everybody else doing?

[FirebirdNC]

All good here! Wow that was quite a ride! Sounds like you are adulting very well Moving is always a challenge. We are in the process of remodeling our house to sell and move out of the area in the next 1-2 years. I wish you luck in finding a place that suits you.

[Rorschach]

Good Lord indeed. That's quite the surprise.

Hello. Good to hear from you. We're running something of a skeleton crew at the moment, but I feel it's only time before our rise to power once more.

[BtEO]

*waves*

[FirebirdNC]

*waves*

And another country heard from I send you early birthday well wishes!

[BtEO]

Thank you.

[Martin Blank]

Once a forumite, always a forumite.

Well, unless you get banned.

[wocket]

Hello again, this time from Sacramento! Husband and I live in a 4 bed/2.5bath house with a roommate (who uses 2 of the bedrooms - 1 is her office for her freelance work). Our share of the rent is $600/mo less than what we paid in the Bay - but I'm melting in this heat.

We're talking about having a housewarming party this August that will coincidentally be around our anniversary. You're all invited, of course.

[Deacon]

Wow, that’s really cool! Congratulations on the anniversary

[ShahinVahdat]

So funny to find this post. I, too, was feeling nostalgic for the old Real Life Forum days. Glad to see so many of the old crew still here. Just wanted to drop in and say I hope everyone is doing well!