Don't let the grass grow under your feet kid.

Really, it makes sense that I haven't fully unpacked in 7 years. Realistically, you can't truely figure out what you want or where you should be without trial and error. Sometimes that can take years.

My first apartment was meant to be temporary. 45th and Chestut was not where I wanted to plant my roots in this city- but a 4 bedroom apartment for $800 a month was a pretty good start. The mouse and roach infestation was good inspiration to not only keep my stuff packed- but keep them in sealed containers. The crackhouse behind our building and the theft of my wheels were a perfect way to burst my suburban safety bubble.

What was meant to be even more temporary was the typical "move back home" that every 20 year old does at some point. When your parents are at first happy you're back, but soon enough they realize that you aren't paying rent. You've already proven you can function as an adult and financially contribute to the household, so its best to get out before your mom starts figuring out your share of the bills.

What was meant to be a big move for a long lasting stay in one place was when I moved in with a boyfriend in Manyunk. A good sized 2 bedroom apartment for $690 a month- how could you ever leave? Outside of realizing your boyfriend is addicted to alcohol and various other substances and noticing poor hygene habits and daily explosive bowell movements that leave shit caked along the toilet rim- the rent's really cheap enough to live there a few months longer than you'd normally prefer. This situation is why God made the "month to month" provisions you'll sometimes be lucky to find in your average lease.

Moving in with your best friend, for the 2nd time was a decision I knew I would later question. After 45th and Chestnut, we gave eachother some distance for a few months. But at this point, we were both 4 years older with good paying jobs and moving to a better neighborhood (Fairmount). I was in insurance sales. She was a stripper. Her income was far higher than mine and this gave me a feeling of security. The shoe was on the other foot for once... but only for the first half of our lease. Quitting her job as an exotic dancer was the most healthy decision she's ever made- and I was proud of her. But you gotta have a back up plan when you make these kinds of decisions. Before I knew it, I was paying $1200 in rent by myself not knowing when I'd get paid back.

Once again, after we parted ways, there was distance for months. More distance this time because she moved to the other side of the country. After getting over this "good riddence" phase of our friendship, I started to miss her and was thrilled when she came home for a week.

My mission that year was to keep the apartment forever. Two bedrooms with two bathrooms, a deck, 10 foot ceilings, in a prime location- I paid $1200 myself for 2 months waiting for my friend Jared's lease to run out so he could move in. When our mutual friend had 2 home invasions over the coarse of 2 months at 19th and Girard, the idea of the 3 of us living together came up. Recollecting conversations with her about how we could never live together made me squeemish that I was giving up my apartment to live a miserable existance.

This is how I ended up at 28th and Brown. Happy as a clam. Amanda and I got along just lovely. She was the mother to Jared and I. Thinking of Jared and I living alone, I realize that we would've had a messy place. Amanda was the balance for our cleanliness. I was the balance between two people that argue. And Jared took care of the boy stuff. I could've stayed there forever, but it was time to play house.

And that's how I ended up here on Corinthian Ave with the Eastern State Penatentiary outside of my front door. An architectual landmark with worlds of history and hauntedness flowing through its walls. I ended up here because that's the next step you take when you're in a blissful relationship. You see if you can ruin it by living together.

In the time I've spent living with boyfriend, I realize that if any relationship has a shot of lasting for a very long time, it's this one. We've survived 7 months of living in a small 1 bedroom apartment. And now it's time to see how we survive a larger apartment that will have enough space for us to escape eachother. We've been looking at places for exactly one week and I think we've found "the one." It's lacking a deck (or yard) and a washer and dryer in the unit- two things that were very important to us at some point. But it's on a great street. Location location location.

The idea is that we will move somewhere that we can stay and enjoy for a few years. This is a foreign and frightning concept to me. Knowing that I could simply move if I outgrow the apartment has always been a helpful thought in making these decisions. But now... now it's a commitment much larger than I've ever known. We'll see how it all goes.