When Serendipity Knocks

Have you ever looked around at your life and wondered…what the hell?

Some people would call that a quarter life crisis, some call it being an adult, some just call it life. For me, it was a Tuesday.

I am L. I am an accountant. I am a planner. I may like surprises (birthdays, flowers, you know, the usual), but I hate change. Then one day I decided to move to a city where everything is new and fast paced, and change is a regular part of your daily commute (trust me, try making the T stay on schedule). All because I loved a man and wanted to create a bigger and better life for myself. Once I arrived, I worked hard to defy the metropolitan atmosphere, making sure my life was consistent, stable, and scheduled. Then cue the biggest change of all: I was suddenly single. On a Tuesday.

I was left in Boston with myself, two fur babies, and a closet full of clothes that no one was around to wear. My calendar hadn’t sent me any alerts to warn me about this change. Where was that handy notification when I needed it? Why can’t life be like a pretty Instagram page that gets lots of love but doesn’t reflect any real responsibility?

Lonely is not a word I had a lot of experience with. Sure I knew what it meant, and I had heard some of my girlfriends talking about it in the wake of their various breakups. But I myself had never experienced it. I’ve been single before, but never totally and completely on my own after having molded my life around someone else. Isn’t change supposed to fill your time with something new to focus on? Or at least give you a lateral move? I was left in Boston with myself, two fur babies, and a closet full of clothes that no one was around to wear. My calendar hadn’t sent me any alerts to warn me about this change. Where was that handy notification when I needed it? Why can’t life be like a pretty Instagram page that gets lots of love but doesn’t reflect any real responsibility?

In my case, change came in the form of a canyon that was dug through the middle of my life and disrupted all my perfectly laid-out plans. Sometimes change can be really hard. But it can also be really good. The bright side of change is serendipity, that one beautiful happenstance that turns a situation on its axis. If serendipity ever knocks on your door, you better open that bitch wide open because it is bound to let something wonderful into your life. Change and serendipity gave me freedom and the opportunity to make my own decisions. It gave me the fresh start I so desperately craved when I first moved to Boston. It gave me an extra closet to fill with a bunch of beautiful things that are all mine. It gave me a chance to make good friends and fill my life will people who will always be around. It gave me a chance to figure out who I really am.

Who knows what serendipity will bring to my door next — whether a man, a new best friend, a trip, anything. For the first time I don’t have anyone to answer to but myself. I don’t have to check in with anyone, or call my parents to ask their permission. It is scary, and nerve-wracking, and totally exhilarating. So let’s conquer this shit and see what trouble we can get into in The Hub.