By now, I'm sure you've heard the news that Dylan and I are leaving Chicago. I've received plenty of well-wishes and it's been very kind of everyone. Even if it's not said, I think the adults in our lives are happy we're going to be closer to (at) home, and the 20-somethings are either happy we're closer to them or bummed that we're not staying in Chicago. While I appreciate the wishes of every kind, I've never been one to take sentiments of the sort easily. My mother set me an LA Times article about kids moving back home. Whether because of fear, schools closing, or any of the numerous reasons why your adult children could move back home, it's really difficult for us (the adult who only recently moved out or started our lives) to pull the plug.
College is a perfect stepping-stone to get through to your adult life. It gives you the chance to be independent and make mistakes, so my heart goes out to the student that found themselves at home and without the chance to learn both in and out of the classroom. That being said, I'm sure you can imagine how devastating it must be for the graduating seniors to not be able to see their friends or walk across the stage to get their diploma before they're thrust into adulthood. There's a lot more situations out there that I'm sure I'm missing but can't completely speak to anyway, so I'm going to jump to our experience. Dylan and I left Tucson 3 days after graduation. We worked at Starbucks for as long as we could handle it, were trying to be actors at the same time, and didn't get to enjoy the summer as much as we would have liked because we were trying to plant our feet on the ground. Eventually, we moved past Starbucks and got jobs that paid a little more and had a lot more structure. We celebrated Dylan's 23rd birthday (I was really sick so only kind of), had a snowy Halloween, had our first Christmas together, Dylan was the lead actor in a feature-length film, I applied to schools and jobs, I got accepted into said schools and received a salaried position, we signed a lease for a new apartment (1 bed 1 bath!) with space for a recording/workout studio, and then it ALL got taken away. As a couple, we're able to handle anything and everything that's thrown at us. We've endured hospital visits, mental health issues, living on a minimum-wage salary, and living in a studio apartment. So, we'll endure this too. It's not that living with family is a "bad" thing. In fact, we're doing it because it's the best option for us. We've wanted to live closer to family (eventually), Dylan gets a chance to audition in Los Angeles, and we're not going to be in the financial doghouse if we can't pay the rent (because there is no rent). It's that living with family, after climbing the professional ladder and making strides to live a better life, feels like we landed on a "go to start" part of the board game. So, what next? Are we truly back at the start? Although it may feel like it, no, we're not, because we've never been here. Although I may be "going home," I've never had a partner there with me (let alone a fiancé), I've been out of the house for 5 years so that's going to make a difference, our resumes are bigger, we're smarter, and maybe a little stasis is what we need. Since May 13, 2019, Dylan and I have been an unstoppable force of energy that kept moving forward. We didn't stop working for a better life, we didn't stop creating experiences, and we never took anything for granted. So, maybe, this is the universe's way of saying, "Hey, good job out there! Now, sit down on the couch, take a class or two, and enjoy something different...you're only 23 for Lord's sake." I'm not saying that this transition is going to be easy. I'm not asking for a pity party. What I want you to get out of this is that the younger adults in the community have been hit hard and have been ignored by their government. Give us some grace, understand that we're grieving whatever we've lost, and we plan to be back on our feet as soon as we can. I hope you have a happy and healthy week ahead of you, and that you keep moving forward. ~E
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AuthorElena B. Archives
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