Finding My Footing

It has been a crazy ride so far. I have squeezed a lot of life into the 48 years I have been on this planet. But I am going to talk about the last few years. It is 2012 and I am living in Jeffersonville Indiana. I transferred to Kentucky with work in , and had found a new job working on a casino boat in Indiana. I have been living in the area for a few years, and it's alright. My home had been Florida from the age of 7. This was a culture shock. But, it wasn't all bad. I had more apartment than furnishings. I was not, in anyway, prepared for winter. Ok, I wasn't prepared for anything below 55 degrees. See, I left Florida to get away from an ex. It was a quick decision, and I don't regret leaving. But, I left fast. I donated most of my possessions and moved. I left with what would fit in two Uhaul Uboxs and my cats in my car.

Dating has always been challenging, I am thicker than other women and I have always looked a little younger than my age. At that point in time i had very short hair, and I got weird questions about my preferences. I decided to do some online dating. That was an absolute crapshoot to say the least. I've been stood up, been on several very strange first dates. Dating really makes you consider buying land and starting a commune. But one day, there was a profile that stood out. He was super cute, looked happy, settled in his life, 10 year employment with the same employer, and was looking for someone to share it. The catch? He lived in Arizona. ARIZONA! Some how with all the perimeter limitations, there he was. I messaged him, a few weeks later he messaged me back. Who would have thought in 4 months I'd be driving across country to live in Arizona. Then just 6 months after that, 8/29/14, we would say "I do" in Las Vegas!

The next 4 1/2 years are a weird blur of financial abuse, lack of care, loss and gain of pets, multiple moves, and a dear jane letter ending our marriage while I am working out of town. He had all of my possessions but a few suitcases of clothes, and my dog. With the letter came paperwork that was downloaded with a multitude of wrong dates and a place for me to sign to agree to an uncontested divorce. Like I was going to get divorced with out an attorney on my side. Over the next year and a half I moved in with my brother and his girlfriend in Key West. The divorce took over a year, and it took that long for him to send my belongings. It was all a blur. A blur of work, travel back and forth to Fort Lauderdale to visit my divorce attorney, mediation and divorce.

2/26/20 the divorce was final, 2/28/20 the house sold, and then two weeks later Covid 19 took over the world. 2020 was such a crazy ride of a year! I finally settled for now in central Florida. Being a massage therapist, I qualified as medical, so i got vaccinated as soon as I could! I followed up getting vaccinated with foot surgery. Finally, I can breathe. It has taken this crazy year for me to get my head screwed on, think clearly, and find my footing. When it comes right down to it, I have to say, I would much rather be where I am right now then where I was when that letter came in the mail. Right now my body needs to heal, that's a lot easier that healing a broken heart and spirit.

KA