I’m back after my short absence due to moving out of Carleton University residence and into my own apartment in Ottawa. There has been a lot that has been testing my faith lately. I may have lost a friend by being too honest with them. This loss has made it difficult for me to move forward in my mind, but the lesson I have learned from this experience is that some people are just not meant to stay in your life forever. And that’s ok.

Another lesson I have learned is that moving for me is much more than just moving out of University Residence, a transition that many students experience. It is a leap of faith in myself that I didn’t know I was capable of. During the process of moving I thought to myself “Is moving into my own one bedroom apartment really a good idea?” then I answered my own question, “ Well I guess there’s only one way to find out!” So with the help of a bucket load of friends, attendants, a U- Haul, super easy going landlords, movers, and my Dad who played Ikea furniture carpenter and cook, I can proudly say I survived my first night alone in my very own apartment.

The moral of the story is that it takes a village to help a person with a disability to move into their own apartment. And I’m really feeling the love!

Stay tuned for the next episode of Sonja’s Stories Apartment Style!

–Sonja