About the South Lands

And now..on with my riveting life story.

The final chapter.

(because everything else is on this blog)

So, I am 28 years old.

Moving from my parents house in PA to Reidsville, North Carolina.

I, as previously mentioned, did not have a job or a place to live.

But I had a dream.

Yuck.

 No, I did not.

 I just said that to seem more inspirational than I am.

ANYWAY

So, I get down South and I think I lasted about 2 nights staying with my sister.

My mom (who came down with me) eventually kicked me out of my sister's house for "holding the whole family hostage with my tooth pain".

Whatever that means.

(I think it means that I was literally whining and crying incessantly about how much my tooth hurt) 

It's the first and last time I've ever been kicked out of anywhere.

I felt so badass in that moment.

By this time I had procured my shady little apartment on Main Street.

Erin came with me to the Walmart at midnight that night and helped me get some essentials- air mattress, dishes, some food- I was also obsessed with getting a toilet bowl cleaner.

 Not sure why in retrospect.

I moved into my apartment and within 2 weeks (with the help of my sister Danielle) found a job.

At Youth Haven.

I will never talk bad about Youth Haven.

Well, actually I will and have on repeated occasions, especially on this blog.

The company itself was amazing.

My coworkers and the work itself- kind of insane.

There was politics and backstabbing and coupe de graces and I had 11 different offices and 4 different jobs over 3 years.

I had a supervisor who made me cry but refused to offer me tissues because "that would presume that he thought my crying was not ok" (he told me never to offer a crying client tissues- a rule I break daily) and then he would show me odd videos on youtube.

I had a coworker who; the week I lost my voice, declared in front of the whole office- "This is the greatest week of my life!"

I learned what 'slow hoeing" means.

 (Don't google it!)

I drove around Rockingham County North Carolina in my red focus (after the Altima died an untimely death) at all hours of the night.

I ate WAY too much fast food.

I got involved in breaking up fights, buying client's clothes, helping people leave their spouses, cat exchanges at midnight, and every other strange thing that occurs in the trenches of social work.

Plus, on top of that, I was spending the most time I ever had with my nieces and nephews.

Those are some of my most cherished memories.

The rubber duck regatta.

The cookie baking parties.

The formation of the Secret Club.

The trips to the park in a torrential downpour.

The game nights.

The time Danielle and I tried to tire her kids out by paying them in m and m's to run around the whole yard.

(Didn't work).

The time I locked Elly in her room for screaming and she ended up using the bathroom in a wicker basket.

I think the word "Chaos" best depicts my life in the South.

And "Fried Food" and "Barely concealed Racism" and "Cut on the Lights" and "The War of Northern Aggression" and "Alcohol at the Company Christmas Party".

I learned alot in my 3 years in the South.

I got my clinical licensure.

I lived on my own in that state for a full year.

I learned how to do things for myself.

Like brave the shady laundry mats.

And get my car fixed.

And how to make bread.

And how to decorate my very own Christmas Tree.

I wouldn't trade that time for anything.

That being said, I won't be moving back to the South.

Nothing but PA feels like home.

So...this is where my life story posts end.

This blog picks up in the middle of my time down South and so you people know the story from there.

Consider yourselves blessed.

Everyone else is going to have to pay for my autobiography and you've all gotten it for free.

Lori Ann

p.s.- I named Sugar after my time in the South. In the South, the word Sugar is kind of interchangeable for "love". :)