What am I doing and how did I get here?

I promised to write about me running away from home, and I have been slacking, but here we go!

A year ago at this time to say things were a little crazy, would have been an understatement. I had recently been reunited with an old girlfriend from some 20 plus years ago. I had been searching for her all this time wondering where she was, if she was ok and if she happened to still like me. It took a few months, but I learned a hard lesson on being careful for what you wish for. But that’s another part of the story.

My friend and I started hanging out, nothing serious it had been a long time and we were enjoying each others company. Of course my landlords saw differently. They met her before they left to go north for the summer and had me married and finding a place together in their minds. Before they left I could tell that they had enough with the rental neighbors and their screaming kids were getting to them, and I understood the frustration they felt. They hinted but never came out and said they may sell the house, but they did.

My landlord called me on Friday night, on last years Memorial day weekend. He called to tell me they had put the house on the market and that it”wasn’t something they had planned”, in my head I thought Bullshit! At first he was kind, like they had always treated me, telling me they would give me 60 days after closing( if it sold, haahaa), so I could save some money and look for a new place. Once again those damn voices in my head said “Bullshit, it’s already sold. this is just the game that had to be played”. Damn if my head was right again, into the first week of June I received a call from my landlord again, ” you have to be out by the end of June”, no if, and’s or but’s just get out! You see the home he bought in 1996-98 for around $290,000 sold practically overnight, for 2.2 million! Amazing how fast spur of the moment sales can happen so fast. So, they being very savvy, never wanted a contract, which was ok, and I paid my rent on time and in cash, so I had no say. So when they said get out I had no recourse. It was like overnight that these wonderful people who really seem to care about me, showed me that the old saying “money changes people” was true, but I didn’t know it happened so fast. They were so out of touch with the current rental situation, that they were sure in their mind I would just walk down the street and find another place. That didn’t happen, plus they felt that I was hanging with my friend and I was her problem now. I texted her ( my former landlord) and let her know what it costs to attempt to rent a place on the island or off, never heard back from her and have never heard a word from people who told me they cared about me, I had been just some extra cash in their pocket for four years and now their wallet was full and no one cares about the serf’s. I was told who bought it and I wasn’t shocked, but not a word was spoken about letting me stay and I wasn’t about to ask. It will probably be torn down soon like all the others, but who cares it’s about the money Honey!

I quickly moved out and with no where to go, I was officially homeless for the first time in my life, how exciting! I went to Port Charlotte and stayed with my long lost friend, which consisted of staying in cheap hotels every few days, as neither of us had enough money for a 1st, last and security for two different reasons. Of course that mess didn’t work out, and again for different reasons.

So I left and came back to B town, and with the awesome help and generosity of friends I was able to stay at their places for the last several months.

But I knew I had to do something, I couldn’t stay there forever. I had told myself and the voices in my head that if or when I had to leave my island home, I would just hit the road, it seemed I had no choice. My beloved home town, the place I never wanted to leave, because damn it why should I leave the place I grew up in so that more tourists could take over and push the locals away? But it along with a group of rouge county leaders who only represent their handlers have accomplished it, and Bradenton, AMI, and the county will never be the same place I grew up in. So I guess I am just going to wander and with the help of some awesome friends and relatives ( I have no siblings) I will try to stay on this side of the dirt.