The ball is rolling

When a friend of mine saw my re-designed blog and read my latest post, he said to himelf, "Uh-oh. Hillary sounds like a missionary to Africa who is trapped in Canada." Something in that resonated in me for sure. I feel like I'm home, but I'm not home. Though I have to say, the label of 'missionary' still seems foreign to me. But 'trapped in Canada?' I think that feels very true.

Over the last few weeks, my plans have been coming a little bit clearer. I've decided that I want to do my required training over one concentrated year in a seminary program instead of bit by bit while I continue to work full time. It's definitely the fastest way to get it done, and I think it will be beneficial to me to be around other people who are studying the same thing that I am. I've found one program that looks really good, and opens a number of possibilities for me (though I'm still researching a few other schools, too).

Of course, going back to school requires a lot of money. I was hoping for a few different housing options - getting a roomate, establishing a community house in the house I'm in right now, etc - that would allow me to save some money this year before going back to school, but none of those options have really worked out.

In fact, my housing situation has been less than ideal for the last six months or so. The owner of the place I've lived for the last eight years has decided to put the house up for sale. It was on the market for four months or so, and didn't sell, but in that time, my landlords (also renters, who lived upstairs) bought a house and moved out. I was all but told I could take over the whole house until the owner put it back on the market in the spring, but at the last moment, the owner changed his mind and rented the house to someone else. I could still stay in the suite, but I was disappointed not to be able to start the community house I had been hoping for.

Since then, it's been extremely frustrating dealing with the owner, who never returns phone calls or emails, and still hasn't fixed something he said he would fix over two months ago. And of course, there are adjustments with new people upstairs, too. Mostly cause of issues with the owner (and my own desire to stay SANE!), I've been feeling very desperate to get out of here.

And so, the need to move and the need to save some money for school has led me to the following solution... I'm moving back in with my parents!

It's been just over ten years since I moved out, and now, at almost 32 years old, I'm moving back in! (I feel terrible about the timing of it all... my sister just moved out on Labour Day, so for the first time in nearly 32 years, my parents have had the house to themselves. Now, just a month later, I come over asking to move back in! Eeek!)

My parents have been extremely gracious to let me stay for a very nominal charge, and I think I should be able to save enough for an entire year of tuition and fees.

So the first step in the plan to get back to Africa is underway!

I forsee a heck of a lot of sorting, cleaning, purging, and packing in my future.....