Pick a State, Any State

I've been watching Craigslist like a hawk for over a year now, attempting to find the perfect place to live after college.  As it turns out, trying to find a place that a single college graduate can afford on her own and that actually allows cats is next to impossible.  I mean, I understand the risk of having someone's animals tear up your place, but seriously!  Look at this beautiful girl!

 



She hasn't torn up a single piece of furniture since I brought her home as a kitten-- she's only chewed through two cords in her year and a half of life (and both belonged to my mother- her computer mouse cord, and her cell phone charger).  Honestly, everyone who gets the chance to meet her loves her.

But seriously, I've been putting a lot of thought into where I want to be after this December and the usual list has formed in my mind:  the hometown, the college town, near the college town, Costa Rica (long story), the other side of the freaking country (another long story).  The unfortunate truth is that I will probably end up in whichever town provides me with a job.  Student loans are just around the corner, and life would be easier to figure out if I had roommate-- one that wasn't a cat and could help with rent payments.

Trying to figure out where I want to be and what I want to do is an ongoing thing, and I'm beginning to realize that it may take more than just a few months to figure out.  Heck, it takes some people years to figure out what they want to do in life.  I know that whatever I choose, it will involve the animals I grew up loving, the fiction I've been writing since I was in the fourth grade, and the horses that are my life.  Without these, I know that I won't be happy, and as much as money matters in this stupid society of ours, I know that I need to do what it takes to be happy.  I just hope that if it means moving away from home, I have the courage to do it.  For now, I've decided to just stick to working as hard as I can on my classes and the Appalachian novella I have to finish by December.  And getting my Jeep fixed.  But that's a whole different list of issues.