The path to where we want to go isn't always clear in life. Some have family to consider in process of where they want to go next. For me, the path was very clear. Without an immediate family to consider all I had to worry about was myself and my pets. While I didn't have as much to worry about as some might in my same position, I knew the process wasn't going to be easy.

Moving half way across the country takes a lot of planning, support from loved ones, and quite frankly in my case; luck. Some may say having good luck comes from preparation and I'd agree with them in my situation. My workers compensation payments were going to conclude at the end of March. That meant I needed to sell my home by then. While trying to apply for work and continue to learn in the Cybersecurity/IT realm, I realized I was going to temporarily shift my focus to my relocation. It takes a lot of time and effort to sell a home. I had a thin needle to thread so I began to make preparations in December 2024 in order to sell my home by end of March 2025.

I didn't live in a very nice neighborhood. It was once a place where my mother grew up and every family knew each other. As the years went on it continued to change. Founding families in the neighborhood sold their homes to move to places with more opportunity. My grandfather built the home with his own bare hands. A long time ago, there was a program where you could purchase all the materials but you had to assemble it yourself. Blueprints were provided and approved by the county, after that you were on your own. My grandfather with his oldest son built the home in 1970. My grandfather had once moved to California from Coalgate, Oklahoma for work. He got a job working in the cotton fields, and eventually progressed to running a cotton gin. Right before I was born, grandpa fell from a 21 foot drop and due to the extensive injuries, ended his career in the cotton gins. As a kid, we'd visit his friends in the cotton gin, and he'd tell me stories about working in the fields. When we were home, he'd play songs on his guitar and tell me about the word of God. When I first started to play baseball as a youngster, I'd practice my pitching by throwing a ball through a tire. He was sitting on the tailgate of his truck and cheering me on. We made so many wonderful memories in this home that I was about to sell. There was a lot of pressure on me, from family to my own personal situation weighing on me. Deep down I knew that this decision was the right one.

Pressure can show you who you really are in some situations. In this case, it was no different. It was a real challenge that I was ready for. I needed to get the house prepared so that I could hand it off to a realtor and let them take control. I started off the new year by learning how to do drywall, plumbing, electrical and even carpentry work. I had a month to get my home ready for sale. The goal was to put it on the market by February 6th and I had it ready to list by February 3rd. I researched local realtors to make sure I found the one that was perfect for my situation, and I certainly did. In exactly one month, on March 6th the agreement was made to sell my home.

There was so much preparation that went into the sale of my home. All the hard work, preparation, budgeting and project planning. It was a process I have never personally went through. I'm so glad it all worked out the way it did, because it shaped what was to come next for me.