6/29/10

Moving Out on My Own: The Safe Way

As a recent college graduate, I decided it was time for me to get a place of my own. I packed up my things and headed to the city, bound and determined to make it alone.

It wasn't long after I'd moved out that I realized I wasn't in the safest area of town. Sirens late and night were a frequent occurrence and more often than not, I slept with all the lights on. I was terrified living by myself, but hard-headed enough to stick it out.

I installed a new lock on my door and moved to a second story town home in the same building, but I realized even this wouldn't deter those that were lurking in the shadows. After getting permission from my landlord, I quickly called a local home security company and had a Los Angeles home security system installed.

Even though I'm a heavy sleeper, the alarm's beeping is more than enough to wake me up out of a dead sleep. The nice thing about it is that any time the alarm is tripped it goes directly to the police station and I get a call in less than a minute to see if I'm alright.

On top of the alarm system, I bought a dog. She's a lover, not a fighter, but she looks pretty intimidating. Along with everything else, I'm just smarter about how I live. I lock the windows and doors a night, am careful to set the alarm behind me when I leave and I make sure I'm not being followed before I get to my door at night. Living alone is something I've grown to like.

Written by guest blogger Taylor Locfer.

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