I voted yes as both a child and adult, but it was all the same timeframe. I left an abusive home at age 17 (technically a child). I went to my best friend's house....stayed there for a few weeks and then my dad found me and freaked out. The cops came and took me away to child protective services until my 18th birthday. I walked out of the home, which was nice and safe and fun, to nothing. Do they still do that? Send 18 year old's out on their own with zero help or information or jobs??? I lost my job while I was in protective custody because I couldn't leave the home in order to work. (I didn't have a car to get there, even if they had let me leave, and my dad knew where I worked, so the cops probably would have been called anyway and I would have lost the job either way.)
This time, I stayed with my boyfriend and we bounced amongst his family members staying in unused bedrooms, living rooms, and garages. We both had jobs (I was hired by my boyfriend's step-mom on my birthday), but we didn't make enough money for the area we lived (Bay Area) to get an apartment. We shared his car (although I didn't have a legal license until later on). He had signed up for the military the day before we met (on a delayed entry program since we met in high school -- rival high schools, though). His boot camp started in another state and I stayed with his family while he was gone and drove his car to work.
When he graduated from boot camp and was assigned to a school, he took leave for the weekend and we got married in Nevada with family (mostly his) and friends joining us. It took the military a couple months before they recognized the marriage and we waited until they paid him his backpay until I moved to join him. I stayed in a tiny, cheap hotel for a week (he stayed in his barracks) until I found us an apartment (fully furnished). I was able to transfer within my company, so I already had a job in the new city (lower wages, though, and not much lower expenses).
From the time I left home until we were living in that apartment, it was almost exactly one year.
While one could say this was a tremendous period of growth for me (us), I can assure you it was a very dark time in my life and I would never willingly do it again. I had zero control over my life and I was in a constant state of emotional turmoil. The best part of that year was when I lived in the "safe house" (protective custody). While I loved living with my best friend and it was very romantic to live the gypsy life with my boyfriend, I never felt safe and was always worried for my physical safety. The real growth was for my father. He finally realized what he was doing and got real help. (We live close now and get along rather well these days, which seems AMAZING to me!)
I will say I am grateful for every life experience I've had. They've all led me to where I am now and that is somewhere GOOD!
This time, I stayed with my boyfriend and we bounced amongst his family members staying in unused bedrooms, living rooms, and garages. We both had jobs (I was hired by my boyfriend's step-mom on my birthday), but we didn't make enough money for the area we lived (Bay Area) to get an apartment. We shared his car (although I didn't have a legal license until later on). He had signed up for the military the day before we met (on a delayed entry program since we met in high school -- rival high schools, though). His boot camp started in another state and I stayed with his family while he was gone and drove his car to work.
When he graduated from boot camp and was assigned to a school, he took leave for the weekend and we got married in Nevada with family (mostly his) and friends joining us. It took the military a couple months before they recognized the marriage and we waited until they paid him his backpay until I moved to join him. I stayed in a tiny, cheap hotel for a week (he stayed in his barracks) until I found us an apartment (fully furnished). I was able to transfer within my company, so I already had a job in the new city (lower wages, though, and not much lower expenses).
From the time I left home until we were living in that apartment, it was almost exactly one year.
While one could say this was a tremendous period of growth for me (us), I can assure you it was a very dark time in my life and I would never willingly do it again. I had zero control over my life and I was in a constant state of emotional turmoil. The best part of that year was when I lived in the "safe house" (protective custody). While I loved living with my best friend and it was very romantic to live the gypsy life with my boyfriend, I never felt safe and was always worried for my physical safety. The real growth was for my father. He finally realized what he was doing and got real help. (We live close now and get along rather well these days, which seems AMAZING to me!)
I will say I am grateful for every life experience I've had. They've all led me to where I am now and that is somewhere GOOD!
It was wonderful.
