Moving Into Our New Place

Today is my birthday. I am 39 years old, and we are officially moving into our new place.

I do not think I could have asked for a better birthday gift than this. Stability. Space. A door that closes and belongs to us.

Yesterday went better than I ever expected.

The Facebook Marketplace Miracle

We met the woman from Facebook Marketplace, and she was real. Not a scam. Not a weird situation. Just a genuinely kind human being.

She is close to our age and has dual citizenship in the United States and Europe. She is moving back to Rome, Italy. Most of her friends are there, and even though she has some family nearby here, she said she has been really lonely. Listening to her talk about going back felt bittersweet. Exciting for her, but also sad that she felt isolated here.

She walked us through her home, room by room, and kept saying, “Oh, you can have that too if you want it.”

I am not exaggerating when I say we are basically getting her entire house.

We felt overwhelmed and grateful at the same time. We insisted on buying the TV and paying her more than she originally asked because it just did not feel right to take everything without giving something meaningful back.

When we left, we looked at each other and just kind of laughed in disbelief. We are definitely going to need a U Haul. We are scheduled to pick it up at 9 a.m. this morning.

From Nothing to Something

Before we connected with her, we fully expected to be moving into our new place with almost nothing.

When we lost our house in August, we brought only our beds, a few garbage bags of clothes, and my desk with my computer. Everything else was gone. Starting over like that changes you. It makes you hyper aware of how fragile stability can be.

Now, not only do we have a place to live, a place that is ours, but we are receiving furniture, decorations, and household items through the kindness of someone who did not have to help us at all.

In addition to what I mentioned yesterday, she is also giving us decorations, an area rug, two nightstands with lamps, storage baskets, a laundry hamper, cleaning supplies, a dining table, and so much more. There is honestly too much to list.

It feels like provision. Like we are being carried through this next step.

Birthday Moving Day

So here I am, 39 years old, feeling like an 80 year old woman most days, and today we are moving into our new place.

The plan is simple but chaotic. We are dropping the four year old off with my niece so we can move everything without toddler level mayhem for a few hours. Then we will load up the U Haul from the Marketplace lady’s house, take it to the new place, and unload it. After that, we will go back to his mom’s house and move the rest of our things.

The electricity was switched over yesterday, so we should be able to sleep there tonight.

Sleep in our own space.

That thought alone makes my chest feel lighter.

Grateful and Nervous at the Same Time

I am excited to get out of this basement and away from the tension we have been living in. I am nervous about being in a completely new place again. I am tired in a way that feels bone deep.

But I am also deeply grateful.

Grateful for the woman who chose kindness.
Grateful for family who stepped in to help.
Grateful that at 39, I am moving into our new place instead of giving up.

This past year has humbled me in ways I never expected. Today feels like a turning point.

Question:

If you could give yourself one meaningful birthday gift this year, what would it be?