Surprisingly, the most challenging thing about the move is getting a car, which I need right away since my new office is on the opposite side of town from our house. I have to rely on my parents and rideshare apps for the first few weeks, but we finally manage to get a good deal on a used car thanks to a family friend from church. And I still remember how to drive. Somewhat. Obviously, I need a lot of practice to get completely used to maneuvering a car again, but thankfully I can take local roads to get to work.

The Irvine office is slightly bigger than the one in San Francisco and is located in a bungalow built in the typical Southern Californian orange roof and white exterior Spanish villa style, rather than being in an office building in the middle of a city. The staff is bigger, too, covering events, lifestyle, real estate, and entertainment in not just Orange County but also the greater Los Angeles area.

It’s my first time fully working with a team to create multimedia content, rather than just writing assignments on my own. It’s invigorating and challenging, all at once, and I often find myself working longer, later hours than I ever did in San Francisco because of all the new skills I have to learn on the go. There’s a steep learning curve, but I enjoy everything even more than I thought I would.

If I’m being totally honest, though, the best part of my new job is not the work itself. It’s the fact that I have higher pay and better health insurance. Which is great because boy, do therapy bills add up, especially when you have a lot to work on like I do.

In November, six months after I moved back in with my parents, I get a studio apartment for myself in a nearby city that has cheaper rent than Irvine. Even a tiny studio of my own seems like a big upgrade after all the places I’ve lived in the past year or so. It’s my first time having my own place, without any parents, lovers, or roommates… ever. And that makes me so happy I don’t know what to do with myself.

I manage to get very affordable pieces of furniture from Ikea, even finding a small orange sofa to put at the foot of my bed, in honor of Clementine. As great as Clementine was, this is one couch I hope I’ll never have to sleep on.

When I’m finally all moved in, I sit on my bed and take a few quiet deep breaths. Somehow, I made it. I made it out of San Francisco and finally have my own place to call home.

I’m all by myself, but for the first time ever, I’m okay with it. Or at least, I think I’m starting to be.

40: Celeste