Sometimes Breaking and Entering seems like a pretty good idea.

Fun Fact: I’m usually early to things. Fun Fact #2: Sometimes I forget my keys. Add those 2 facts together and you get my current situation. 😂

That is a text I sent to my friend on a Saturday night I was STOKED about. My excitement got the best of me. As I walked out of my apartment door, I remembered I didn’t have my keys in my pocket. My apartment door is uncharacteristically heavy for the doorframe, so it closed on me and locked, JUST as I remembered my keys that sat in my basket on my foyer bookshelf. 

This isn't the first time this has happened. So, I called maintenance and it turns out, my apartment complex changed protocol. Only permission from the housing office during office hours can permit a custodian — managerial or not — to open up someone’s door. 

I wasn't informed of this change as a co-op owner, and it was 5:18 pm on a Saturday. After hours. I lost my shit. I started to stress, and cry and react at the poor guy on the other end of the phone, who was just doing his job. 

I acknowledged my freakout and very much apologized to him. Win for self awareness and not blaming the messenger in the present moment. Another win not taking things personally on my end. 

I called my parents. They have an extra set of keys. The problem was, they were traveling. Then my dad asked me a question that gave me hope. “Is your fire escape window unlocked?” It was. I knocked on my neighbor’s door - the one that shares a fire escape with me - but got no answer. 

I wouldn’t give up, being the poster child for stubbornness. I went to every floor and rang bells and knocked on doors of all of the apartments in the building who shared the same fire escape with me. No one answered. No one does nowadays. 

Keep in mind, my keys left in the apartment also had my car keys on the ring, which meant that I couldn’t go anywhere. I was supposed to drive to the event I was going to that night, giving a friend of mine a ride. She was gracious enough to drive us there. 

My parents, being the amazing and beautiful people they are, drove HOURS back to Queens to leave a set of keys in my car. They also own a spare set for my Kia Forte. I was going out east on Long Island.  Not a hop, skip, and a jump from my little apartment in Queens. 

One worry over, another presented itself. Would my car still be there by the time I got back? For me to get the keys, it had to be left unlocked. Could I trust greater society to not steal my car? Could I trust my neighbors not to steal anything from my old Kia Forte? I created scenarios in my head and even tried to get into the mind of a thief. Why would they want to steal my car? Is my car a perfect target because it’s old, not special, and totally uncool? This is where my brain went - worried and frazzled. 

I hate feeling frazzled. I hate being late. Part of the reason why I leave so early to arrive places, is to allot for shit like this to happen. We were late to our outing, but still weirdly made it on time.

If there’s one lesson I learned from Saturday, it’s to Let It Go to Let It Flow. I cried in the beginning to let it go, and then didn’t give up to find a solution. I was about ready to climb onto my fire escape from the ground, but I was talked out of it. The car was still there, the keys were under the passenger’s foot mat, and I graciously went upstairs to greet my kitty. Let it go. Let it flow. 

That night, I immediately wrote my journey out in my journal. I learned a few things about myself and notated those wins. Everyday is a chance for growth, and that night, I seized the opportunity.

To never miss a story like this one - one that’s simultaneously entertaining and reflective - make sure to subscribe to my newsletter. Every week will bring real stories, words of encouragement, and more straight to your inbox.

Something sweet is always present in the madness. Find those sweet nuggets and eat em.