"I finally did it. I was the Black Carrie Bradshaw. Shortly after graduating from college with a degree in magazine journalism, I'd earned a position at one of the top fashion publications in the world. Even though I was still living in my mom's one-bedroom Bronx apartment, it felt like I was moving in the right direction to build my career in the industry."
"My mother (who is 67 and retired) and I were like passing ships, more like intergenerational roommates than family - until I was unexpectedly laid off. I was immediately confronted with the reality that being home "temporarily" was going to look a lot more like "indefinitely." At first, I felt like a failure Suddenly being home all the time was uncomfortable - I felt like an adult in a playpen."
"I didn't know how to hold my own as a grown woman while living with my mother and relying on her financially. I was trying to rediscover who I was and figure out my next move, while also navigating living in such tight quarters with another adult. I'd already re-adjusted to my mother's version of "tidy," following her standards of cleaning and organizing on Saturday mornings, rather than sleeping in like I wanted."
After college, the narrator moved back into a 67-year-old retired mother's one-bedroom Bronx apartment with a plan to stay rent-free for a year while saving for an apartment. A new position at a top fashion publication initially made the arrangement feel like progress, with long office hours and frequent events. An unexpected layoff transformed the temporary arrangement into an indefinite stay. The sudden change produced feelings of failure and discomfort at losing independence. Daily life required negotiating tight quarters and adapting to the mother's routines, from cleaning standards to sleep schedules. The narrator adopted quieter mornings and intentional routines to improve coexistence.
Read at Business Insider
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