Single in the City
City lights have always called my name
But they always felt like a dream for another life, another version of me
Since I was 20 I wanted to live in a bigger city but the me I needed to be that decade called for small towns & corn fields
So at the end of an era, when I was in the process of divorce, re building a business, and starting a new one, I had the most Moana moment
Expect it wasn’t water calling me it was brick paved sidewalks, black top streets & skyline views
Everyone thought I was crazy
But I did it anyways
Everyone told me I would hate it
But I did it anyways
I moved my business and my home downtown, as a single mom
It hasn’t been easy, my cars have been broken into, once even repoed once (that another story for another blog😂 but moral of the story, check your mail) I had to deal with noisy neighbors, and street parking.
But I wouldn’t trade it for the world
It’s made me and my daughter the versions of us that we are and I’ve learned a lot about myself, time management, and the luxuries the city has to offer
Like getting your Starbucks and favorite tacos delivered directly to your door
The single 30 year old in me has loved the outdoor concerts, festivals, rooftop brunch’s and day drinking 2 blocks from your front door
But what I’ve loved most is introducing my daughter to a whole new world and instilling mindfulness and diversity within her on our weekends together that we spend at the pool, the park, museums or walking the streets
Don’t get me wrong, the city ain’t cheap, but bish neither am I and the life I envision for her and I
I want to show her that you can follow your dreams no matter what circumstances you are in, and because the only that remains the same in life is change, she can always evolve into whatever she wants in life
We have lived here a year now
And no one thinks I’m crazy anymore
No one sees me moving back anymore
I evolved and all my loved ones either evolved with me or accepted this new version of me and the lifestyle I choose to live (even if my parents hate freeways and take every back road and 4 years to get here 😂🤷🏻♀️)
They love me
So they allow me the space to be me,
And that’s currently taking place in the C I T Y
Quick tips for my fellow single babes living solo:
•make treats for your neighbors when you move in with notes to introduce yourself (and pre warn them you have a toddler, worked for me haha)
•pay for the parking spot, no really just do it
•download Postmates, Uber eats, and door dash immediately, you’re welcome
•limit your target trips if you wanna save any money ever
•buy a movie pass wth AMC where you can see 12 movies a month for $20 a month, worth it & has been my favorite rainy day treat or me time I need
•go to work at 11 and leave at 7 so you never have to deal with rush hour, ya know if you can be your own boss sorta thing 😂
• soak. it. up. All of it. Learn your city. Love your city. Network in your city. Become your City.
Quick tips for my mommas living in the city:
•can’t stress that parking spot enough
•make the mundane tasks an adventure, we look forward to taking the trash to the dumpster together
•know where all the closest parks are, they matter
•recommend living somewhere with a pool, it’s a life savor
•take agavantage of all the free festivals and fun shit the city offers for kids in the summer
•we spend a lot of time “looking for the castles” (aka the skyline) whenever we go
•I even take her to some of my big girl buffet places as special treats so she can see the city from a rooftop too (it’s my favorite sight, and feeling)
This life I’m living, this legacy I’m leaving for my daughter begins and ends with me.
So in order to be the best me she needs, this decade required us live in the heart of a Midwest city
