Recently, I've been swimming in an ocean of despair, but as we drew nearer to the dilapidated old home, I felt a flutter of joy that echoed through the sadness. In spite of the fact that the home was not in the least bit modern or flashy, it exceeded my expectations in a number of diverse ways. We packed up our two-bedroom flat in a terrible neighbourhood in Sacramento and headed east. We've moved to a different state. The daily commute had turned into a source of unending stress for her. Though I was excited to begin a new phase of my life, I couldn't help but make plans for the worst.