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Text and Photography by Katie Kerl, Copyright 2019
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Flooded With Love
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When life hands you lemons; zest them and add some flavor to your life. Not surprising to me, my life sure did balance itself out after my last post.
My apartment flooded the night before Easter, the drain pipe cracked. Imagine you’re getting ready for bed. Have all of your family stuff together for the holiday. Then, all of a sudden you hear a waterfall streaming behind your walls. Water was rising then up from my floors ready to damage all of my things.
I spent the better part of that night soaking up water, drying towels, wiping it up over and over. Had I not, my furniture would have been under three inches of water. My landlord came the next morning on Easter Eve to attempt to take care of it. He had no real success.
Upon my return from the holiday, I walked into a completely ripped up apartment. The floors taken up, all my things pushed to the “dry side “, and me standing there in disbelief. I dropped my phone, and just sat on the ground for a bit.
While I am good with sudden change, I was not anticipating an uninhabitable apartment. Tears rolled down my face for a good ten minutes before calling anyone. Then I got it the fuck together. I was upset, there was nothing my landlord or I could do at that point. We had to wait until the next rain fall to see if it would leak again (which it did).
The Airbnb he got me for the week was deceiving. The photos were great, but it was an actual shit hole once I got there. It had a lovely brown stained couch and bed. At this point I was exhausted.
Its funny how people show up for you when you need them no questions asked. I was in the middle of my emotional breakdown, and my on again boyfriend tried to help me. At first I said no, I wanted to deal with it on my own. I feel like I’m very fortunate to have many people help me in bad situations, but I do like to handle my own problems, or at least try first.
In this circumstance, I was just too upset at what my place looked like to think about anything else. I did accept his help after going to see the damage. We went to the Airbnb together. He took one look at that space and said, “There’s no way you’re staying here.” We stayed at The Le Meridien in center city that night.
One day I’m living in Queen Village. The next day, half of my things are moved into his place in Northern Liberties. To say I was feeling displaced was an understatement.
My landlord let me know that it was going to be at least a month, if I could even go back there. “A FUCKING MONTH?!” More feelings of panic arose, feeling like I didn’t really belong in his house after we were trying to work things out. I didn’t want to force something we hadn’t discussed, or freak us both out. He asked me to stay anyway.
It is a great experience so far. Part of me wonders if my flood was the universe pushing us together like, shit or get off the pot.
I guess we will just have to see about that part.
He cleared out an office he never used to give me a Closet/ dressing room, and my own terrace. That’s really an important thing when you’re staying / living with someone to have your own area to be yourself, whether it is for yoga & house music, or video games and watching John Oliver. If you let things go you both like to do it just is not going to work out.
Is this the best circumstance to move in with someone? I am not sure yet, but is there ever really a right time? He shows up at all of my best /worst moments, and reassures me it’s going to be ok. I think it actually just might just be this time. I feel lucky to have that kind of person in my life.
If living together works out great, if not at least we gave it a shot. Being too afraid to move forward with someone often times is what breaks you apart, and can bring you back together. It feels good to have someone wanting that next step.
I did have other options. I could have moved home for a month, stayed at an Airbnb, friends’ houses, or got a new place immediately. It wouldn’t have been the same though.
We spent a sunny Saturday in Atlantic City doing a little shopping and rode the Ferris wheel. Taking our minds off both of our life stresses, my flooded apartment and his new growing business. Making time to experience new things together was always a road block that seems to have been cleared. Both realizing the importance of down time and relaxing.
If someone wants to be your umbrella when they are still fighting their own storms; that just might be real LOVE.
You’re going to have a lot of what if’s in life. I didn’t want this to be one of mine. The apartment flood was upsetting sure; none of my stuff got ruined though. My whole life changed in 24 hours. I’m surprisingly ok with the change. I had posted this on April 9th on my Instagram. Boy if my intuition was ever spot on this time.
“When you start to feel uncomfortable with your day to day, change is coming. Embrace it until you get exactly what you want. “
– Kerl up with Kate
Cheers to change friends!
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About The Author: Katie Kerl. Born 1984. Raised in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania. Education: Drexel University studied Behavioral Psychology. Occupation: commercial/ residential design Philadelphia resident since 2011 . Hobbies include: Foodie, whiskey drinker, fitness , cooking , tattoos & house music lover. Instagram: @kerl_up_with_kate. Email: Kate.Kerl32@gmail.com. To access additional articles by Katie Kerl, click here: http://tonywardstudio.com/blog/katie-kerl-balance-your-life/