…and I did…

Big choices in life always come with mixed feelings. I haven’t blogged since my first entry because sometimes there was such a lull, I had no idea what to say and sometimes there was so much going on, I had no idea where to start.

I moved to New York City. Me. By myself. I took the leap. No job, no apartment, but surrounded by loving and caring people who supported me every step of the way.

At first, I was ecstatic and confident. I had left behind a job that I was dissatisfied with, a home that I had broken, and the friends I had- I knew they would stick by me regardless of location.

Now, I have my days. The job search is hard, really hard. I know my skills, I articulate them well, but it is very difficult to get your foot in the door without tried and true connections. Don’t get get wrong. I am a great networker. The problem is, in this day and age, so is everyone else. There are days when I feel completely incapable, lost, and alone. Days when I just need a hug and there is no one to give one. Days when I think, I left a great guy and our life together- then realize that while he was wonderful, we weren’t right for each other, I was awful to him, and it is the stability of our life together that I miss. Living with a cousin, without my belongings, things can seem quite unstable.
On the other hand, there are more days that I have total faith in my decisions. Sure I am scared, but if you live in fear of the unknown, you will never take a chance. I am dating someone new- someone I have known for many, many years. He is motivated, communicative, supportive, and fun. He takes me places, shows me things, is innovative. Mostly, it is the communication and support that I appreciate. He makes me feel more capable by discussing things with me.

Job hunting, while frustrating, also has its perks. I try to see the benefits and lessons in the process, and explore a new part of the city and a new coffee shop every day. Writing cover letters helps me to remember my ability to write. I also spend time researching facts about organizations and making comparisons. This reminds me of my strong research skills. I give myself goals everyday and reward myself when I meet them. When I seek things through new avenues, I remind myself that I am creative and innovative. It all helps to pull me out of a slump and boost my self-esteem again.

Today, some things began to come together. I heard back from one organization, a temp agency, and a potential roommate. All make me feel like I worked hard to make something happen, though I am trying not to get my hopes up too high and let myself down.

Chances come with mixed emotions, but I wouldn’t take it back for anything in the world. Many would think I am crazy to give up the stability that I had for uncertainty, and maybe I am. I am not a religious person, but I have faith that everything happens for a reason. I wanted this and I will make it happen, one way or another.

Unknown's avatar

Author: Room to Regulate

Room to Regulate started as an emotional release – I was tired of giving space to all the heaviness that comes with being your family epicenter – when I'm not regulated, no one is regulated. I wrote it all down. Every overwhelming, anxious thought. I sat with it. Then I built around it – because my story isn't unique. I have ADHD – late diagnosed, of course, the Millennial Mom special. Our anxiety manifested in different ways. We were unlabeled, mislabeled, re-labeled. We held it together through our 20s. Many of us excelled in our careers, and then came motherhood. For a long time I thought the exhaustion, the mental load, the constant recalibrating was just what motherhood felt like for everyone. Don't get me wrong. Whether you are neurodivergent, raising a neurodivergent child, a house full of neurotypicals (do those exist?!), married, unmarried, working, or not – parenthood knocks the wind out of you. And when you're an information seeker, the "why" rabbit hole is endless. It took a while to understand that a lot of what I was carrying wasn't a personal failing — it was a structural one. The systems around us — schools, workplaces, insurance, policy — were never built as an ecosystem. They were built as individual systems. The byproduct of that puts families with the most structural need at the highest risk for falling through the cracks. The hardest parts of my days were the predictable result of that gap, not evidence that I was doing it wrong.

Leave a Reply