WHAT DID I GET MYSELF INTO? BY SAVANNAH BATES

This past summer I was working in a small town in Raynham, Massachusetts. I was living with my then boyfriend at the time and decided that things weren’t working out. I moved out the next morning despite having no other place to live.

There I was at the end of the day leaving work, when I realized I had nowhere to go. After searching eight hours for a place to live during the workday I still didn’t have a single option.

With all of my belongings packed up in my car, I found the nearest hotel to stay at for the night. Since you have to wait til 9pm to check in for the night, I drove around and tried to keep myself busy. I was basically living out of my car and barely sleeping at night because I was so stressed out. Another five nights of this routine continued until I finally found a place to live.  

I ended up finding a friend of a friend from work, and stayed at her empty apartment. It was a single room apartment and I would be living on an air mattress for another six weeks, but it was my only option.

This past summer was miserable. I was lonely but I made the most of it. I chose to take a risk and not settle being unhappy living with someone for the summer. Even though it would have been the much safer and easier place to stay. I chose to appreciate my summer despite all of the drama, and ended up enjoying the rest of my time in Raynham.

Lesson learned. Take the necessary risks, even when all the “right” answers point to the safer choice.