HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN BY JACK PAUL

My ceilings sag. My walls are cracked in more than a few places. My stove can barely cook hash browns. My hanging clothes smell of a strong, dry must. I’m constantly tearing down spider webs. I spent $400 on an air-conditioner that can barely keep the house under 80 degrees on an 81 degree day.

Is it the best house in the world? Not by a long shot.

Did I want this crappy of a living situation this semester? Definitely not.

Is there anything I could do about it? No.

Or at least that’s what I thought to start.

Perhaps it was the state of the place, the ungodly Ohio humidity or even just a general dislike for wood paneling, but something about this house just didn’t sit well with me. After much time in reflection, I finally know what it was that day in August that started my lease off so poorly.

Fear of change.

This place has put me out of my comfort zone in many areas. But I wasn’t going to let that defeat me. I owed it to myself to try as much as I could to make it better. Even if I couldn’t get it right the first time, I needed to be able to get it eventually. 

So that’s what I did. No complaints, just constant trial and error.

One month later, I can barely leave this place. Why?

Lack of comfort allowed me to create comfort. 

Trust uncomfortable situations. They’re your defining moments.