Of Course I Hear Voices: I Own Parrots

1) I have to haul my week or so of laundry there on a regular basis. 2) It costs at least $5 a week...more if I am washing bedding. 3) The change machines are sassy (but they do work so that is a bonus). 4) Whenever I am here, so are the creepy, crazy, and "classy" bunch. 5) I may only wash 3 loads of laundry, but I have to use 4 dryers if I want out of here before midnight. 6) Unless it is 80+ degrees outside, it is freezing in here. 7) Inconsiderate people who hog up and/or block the open dryers. 8) People who judge my clothes and that are offended by the contents I air dry. 9) Lack of soap in the bathroom. 10) The long walk back from my car with the heavy laundry basket when I return home because there is no parking by my building

A year ago I was lost. I was lonely. I felt invisible. It wasn't from my friends lack of trying, but they weren't giving me what I needed. To be fair I didn't know how to ask for what I needed. All I knew was I was tired of feeling so lonely. Going out every weekend was not making things better. Actually, every weekend made me feel worse. I was spending tons of money, feeling like I was getting lost in the crowd, and it wasn't fixing anything. That dark lonely feeling was the source of many tears, doubts, and frustration. Risks I thought would be worth it, just disappointed me more. I didn't think or really care about my future. Things stayed this way for a while. Then life changed. It isn't just about one person. Yes, it may have started with the choice to trust one person and to let him into my inner circle of friends. It has become something much bigger. It is the feeling of family and support I needed to get back on my feet and to start feeling normal ...