As of exactly one very busy week ago, I am moved out of Mamaroneck and into Astoria in Queens, NY. At long last, after seemingly endless months of isolation, I’m done paying for my ex, literally and figuratively.

The flip side, of course, is that if my life continues to be a struggle — and I don’t think it will, since things are already looking up — I can’t blame anyone else anymore. As Trillian says early in Hitchhiker’s Guide, “We have normality. I repeat, we have normality. Anything you still can’t cope with is therefore your own problem.”

Once the dust settles, I might find myself saving a little money again. My rent is high, but lower than paying rent for two. I liquidated my car on Friday, netting a couple grand and saving me $100/mo in insurance (which would have been $150 at my new address). A monthly subway pass is only $90 versus $205 for an MTA North pass. Heating and cooling this place should be cheaper, since it’s smaller and a brand new construction. I’m saving $20/month on my gym, thanks to my corporate overlords.

I may be the only person in the world who can move to New York City and spend less money on the necessities.