Stress and high pressure situations are just a fact of life for me: I work as a Case Manager for a prescription benefit firm, and when things get out of hand, they escalate to our senior team....when that doesn't work, they come to me and the team I'm on.

In April I was recruited to become a part of this team, and despite my natural nervousness and inferiority complex, I excelled at the new position, and have helped many people out of really dismal situations.

It has also gotten me noticed by upper management and many internal partners...I've been earning a lot of respect and support, and that means the world to me.

That came into play much more when in July I was told my rent was going to increase by $600 a month...this increase was not something I could afford (it would be more than a full paycheck for me), and I didn't qualify to sign a new lease because the requirement is 3x the rent rate. Since they tried to spring this on me with 15 days left in my lease, I threatened legal action to allow me to stay the 60 days they would have required me to give for move-out.

The stress of trying to find any apartment openings in a city where 99% of apartments are already taken up was brutal...it affected my health in some pretty nasty ways...exhaustion, back pain, and panic attacks at the aspect of becoming homeless at the end of September if I couldn't make something happen.

After 70+ notices of "We Have Nothing", I found a place...but it turned out to be a complete drug-ridden slum with very little security and safety. At about 3 weeks before my end of lease I found a new apartment....about 15 miles further from work, but still it'll only be a 30 to 40 minute commute, which I can live with.

This new home has a better layout, and the room I'm using as my office is quite large: I can fit a bunch more bookcases and maybe I'll purchase a recliner and flesh out my Office Cave.

The bedroom is huge compared to the one I had in my previous place, and I'll need to figure out what I want to do with that.

I also have an extra half bathroom, so no more lines for a toilet as I live here alone. :D

Only issues were the lack of a microwave (easily fixed with a trip to Walmart), and the kitchen is TINY...it's like a Cooking Closet.
But it has a garbage disposal, an automatic ice maker, and more cabinet space than my previous home.

Also, the bedroom and office both have ceiling fans...which makes me a happy dragon.

Overall, I think it's a step up...and it's just 2.5 miles away from my favorite fish and chip shop.

Had friends to help move...though I messed up my ankles and knees in the prepacking stage of the move, others came together to make up for my lack of ability to really move like I used to.

Still plenty of things in boxes to unpack, and will need to buy some more bookcases in the next couple of months...but this is a new place to call home...and keep moving forward.

-- Murphy