As an up-and-coming social media influencer, Sadie Dwyer has had enough of the expectations thrust upon her and is finally ready to start living life on her own terms. Goodbye cushy corporate finance job, goodbye Los Angeles, and hello fresh start...
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Most people wouldn't have found scrubbing down an apartment any fun—and before today, I would've included myself in that count—but what had me rolling up my sleeves and getting straight to work was knowing that after it was done, I was free to start unpacking.
After a quick jaunt down the street to the nearest pharmacy to pick up cleaning supplies, I both swept and dusted the apartment thoroughly before spraying everything down with a cleaner and rubbing away the ghost of any dirt. I then headed off to Target in search of a few home essentials—sheets, pillows, a comforter, a shower curtain, and the like—as well as a small snack haul, and on the way home, paid my Uber driver to make a stop at my parent's house.
Luckily, my parents had still been at work, so I got away with leaving a quick note taped to the refrigerator to let them know I'd officially left. And since they didn't know the exact address of my new apartment, the only way they'd be able to reach me was by phone, if I decided to take their call or reply to their text.
Which I would, once I set myself boundaries around how to deal with their sky-high expectations.
By the time I arrived back at the apartment and lugged everything up the flights of stairs, I cracked open the best of my snacks—a bottle of rosé, a bag of salt and vinegar chips, and a small fruit platter—and made a start on Sadie-fying the place.
And hours later, once I'd made good use of the shower and slipped into a pair of my comfiest pajamas, I fell into bed, cocooning myself in my new blankets before exhaustion quickly knocked me out.
When I awoke the next morning, courtesy of the immense amount of sun streaming in from the blindless window, there was a brief moment when I opened my eyes where confusion took over. I wondered where in the hell I was as unfamiliar surroundings greeted me, but as my brain began to boot up and the events of the day before rushed back, I relaxed into the pillows and let out a deep sigh of relief.
Today wouldn't start with any passive aggressive post-it notes or job postings. No. Instead, with all the time in the world to figure out my plan for the day, I laid in bed for nearly an hour, scrolling through social media and replying to comments on some of my most recent videos. It was only when my stomach started to growl that I officially rolled out of bed, making a pit stop in the bathroom before changing into a pair of leggings, a bright red sports bra, and a black running jacket. Because while I could no longer run along the boardwalk of a sandy beach, that didn't mean the streets of Seattle were going to miss out on seeing my attempts at keeping myself in shape.
Mapping a route to a Starbucks about a mile and a half away, I headed out, keeping a steady rhythm as my playlist of epic Broadway showtunes shuffled through a handful of songs. When I arrived at the coffee shop, I ordered a breakfast sandwich and a hazelnut latte. Only allowing myself enough time to rest as it took me to chow down, I then found myself taking the long way back to my apartment at a bit more of a leisurely pace. Which of course had included a few stops along the way as I snapped a handful of pictures.
