When circumstances unexpectedly align, a sigh of relief often follows. In my case, the move led me to a slightly larger location in a small town. Besides the hospital, the community square was notable for having the only building with a working elevator – a computer shop that had somewhat merged with an office supply store, overseeing the existing movie theater. Believing that computer systems were my ideal career, this was my opportunity to re-enter the “scene.”

I applied for a position at the computer shop, listing my friend and Dad’s boss as a reference, who was well-acquainted with the shop’s owner. Thanks to the grapevine, I was vouched for, and miraculously, I not only uprooted my life and moved to unfamiliar territory but also secured a job in the computer field.

Primarily, my role was as a shop technician, often reinstalling Windows and dealing with virus cleanup. I became proficient in programs like Spybot, and I learned about others that were effective at the time. Occasionally, the head technician performed fieldwork, conducting maintenance cleanup on PCs and doing physical dust blowouts – a necessity in central California farmland.

At this point, I owned a relatively new car, worked in the computer field, and, aside from bills, enjoyed a relatively carefree existence. Despite the ease of adapting to the town’s quiet atmosphere, my trip out reminded me of what I truly wanted. While familiarizing myself with local businesses through the job, I got to know extended family members of friends, had a crush on the gas station girl, and introduced people to Firefly.

Over the first few months, I reconnected with the girl I had lost, who was now single. The person I had built up in my head with an unreasonable level of detest over the years. By the end of summer, we undertook the unbearable trip back to the area for a couple of days, where the fires of lust rekindled. I wanted her back in my life, feeling that perhaps both of us had grown enough to be where we needed to be. Within the next two months, she and her friend moved in with us. But, as with many things, we’ll get there.

When things actually fall into place, in unlikely situations you often take that time to sigh a breath of relief. In my case the move was to a slightly bigger location then where I lived and worked but still a small town. Aside from the hospital, the community square was the only other building with a working elevator. However, it had a computer shop. A computer shop which had pseudo merged with an office supply shop overlooking the thankfully existent movie theater. In a time when I believed computer systems where my ideal career, it was my chance to hopefully get back into the “scene.”

So I applied, putting my friends, Dads boss as a reference. He was good friends with the owner of the computer shop. Luckily when they called I was vouched for through the grapevine and by an act of modern miracles, I had not only uprooted my life, moved to unknown territory, but got a job in the computer field again.

For the most part though, I was in shop technician, mostly reinstalling windows where necessary and a whole lot of virus cleanup. I got to learn several programs that were good for it at the time. Spybot and truthfully I don’t remember the other one as it lost credibility and another program is used in its place. Sometimes, their head technician would perform contract work in the field which consisted of running maintenance cleanup on pcs and doing actual physical dust blow outs, which in central California farmland, can get pretty dusty.

At this point, I owned a relatively new car, working in the computer field and aside from bills, had a fairly free existence. While that may seem nice, it was my trip out that reminded me of what I wanted. I had a fairly easy time getting used to the town, it was relatively quiet and thanks to the nature of the job, considering how little I accepted hourly, would actually get me familiar with many of the businesses. The bank, the car dealership, many of the farm offices used the computer shop. I would get to know my friends more extended family, crush on the girl at the gas station and introduce peoples to Firefly.

Over the course of the first few months, I began talking with the girl I had lost. Who was now single. The person I had built up in my head for a couple of years with a unreasonable level of detest. At the end of summer, we would drive that unbearable trip, back to the area for a couple days, where the fires of lust raged once more. I wanted her back in my life. I felt like maybe we had both grown enough to where we needed to be. And within the next two months, she and her friend that she lived with at the time, would move out with us. But like a lot of things. We’ll get there.