I took a big step today. I moved into my first real place. The room is offset from the house. It comes with a kitchenette and plenty of closet space. For a tough rental market in Santa Cruz, it is a dream come true. It is also quite inexpensive for the price they could be charging. I am really glad to have gotten it. I am very fortunate.

The only concern I have is that I feel a little lonely. I have a nice big place to myself, but I wish I had roommates to talk to. It is okay though. I will talk to my friends on campus. Some people I know will be living in cars once the school year starts. It is frightening to say the least. I could have been in that boat!

I also really like the idea of being at home. While it would have been cheaper to be at my Dad's house, I feel independent renting at a house in Santa Cruz. I have to make meals on my own and provide for myself. I am on my own and I have to learn how to deal with that.

School starts up again on Thursday this week. That in itself presents a big challenge to my blog. How do I juggle school and WA? Many other members face that issue. I have come to the conclusion that, at a minimum, I must make one article post a week. That will guarantee my success and continued progress. For the younger members reading this, do not stop. Keep moving forward no matter what. Like me, you have the advantage of time on your side. Write at least one article a week.

On a separate, but very cool note, I wrote 6 articles in a row! I thought it would be scarier than it was, but it really was not all that bad. I had to make the time for it. I got up early at 6:00 AM and started writing. But once I got in the groove, I was all the way on easy street. It is not so bad when you have article ideas lined up like gum drops. It felt really good to complete them all.

I feel much better about my site because of it. If you are reading this, it is not so bad to write an article. It is just one of those things you just have to do to see it is not so scary after all.

It is a long road ahead, but I am looking forward to the journey. :)

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you make it a great day!