For the past ten years, we’ve rented a house that, while not fancy or extravagant, was our home. It was where memories were made, holidays were celebrated, and where Maddy and I built our lives together. I never imagined that chapter would close so suddenly.
We’ve been working hard to become debt-free so we could one day buy a home of our own. So, when my landlord texted to say the house had been sold and shared the new owner’s information, I didn’t think much of it. After all, this wasn’t the first time the property had changed hands, and each time before, life carried on as usual.
Little did I know what was coming.
A Letter That Changed Everything
A few days later, I received a letter in the mail from a lawyer. It informed me, in no uncertain terms, that I had thirty days from the letter’s date to vacate the house—or face legal action. By the time the letter reached me, I had only 27 days to figure out where Maddy and I would go.
Panic set in.
The housing market right now is brutal. Rents have skyrocketed, and finding a pet-friendly place is almost impossible. On top of that, many landlords aren’t willing to rent to someone in my situation—a single mom with a dog. It felt like the walls were closing in, and I had no idea how I was going to make it all work.
Ultimately, the only option was to move in with my parents. It wasn’t what I had planned, but it was a roof over our heads, and for that, I’m grateful.
Processing the Loss
I later found out from a neighbor that the new owner planned to move into the house themselves. At first, I was furious. My raw thoughts were, “You kicked a single mom out of her house so you could live in it?! What kind of person does that?”
Of course, that was during the anger phase of grief, and I’ve since moved on. But losing a home is an emotional process—grieving the life you had there, the memories, the comfort of familiarity.
On our last night in the house, we sat on the floor—our couch already moved—and watched the final episode of Gilmore Girls. It felt fitting for two reasons. First, that episode always makes me cry, and I needed a good cry. Second, it’s about Rory leaving her hometown to start a new chapter. The parallels were striking, and the line from Lorelai hit me hard:
“It’s too soon. If I stop to think about you leaving now, I’ll fall apart. It’s too soon.”
Reflecting on Home
Now that we’ve left, I can finally share pictures of the house. It wasn’t anything grand, but it was ours. It was cozy, and at Christmas, it looked magical (at least in our eyes). Those memories will always stay with us.
We miss that little house more than I can say, but we’re also hopeful. We know that someday we’ll have a new place to call home. Until then, we’re holding onto the dream of posting about our first house—the one we own, the one we’ll make memories in for years to come.
Here’s to new beginnings and holding onto hope. ❤️