When I went to college, I lived in an all girls dorm my first year. I was never there and don't know that I made a single friend in my dorm during that nine month span.
My sophomore and junior years of college were spent living in the sorority house. My neighbors were other sorority houses. Again, I made no effort to know my neighbors.
This trend continued for the first three years out of college. It was never intentional, simply, I never got to know the folks living around me. When I moved to Raleigh, my first apartment complex seemed to offer me the same situation. I had a strange family on my right, a strange single guy on my left, a family with bratty kids across the hall, and a senior citizen who I never actually saw. Things changed about five months into living there though when three boys moved in across the hallway.
I was heading out the door one weekday morning when I spotted the new neighbor trying to wedge something in the door to keep it open. Noticing that he was super cute in a hipster + Adam Levine way, I decided I'd show him how to actually unlock his door so he didn't need to prop it open when running to the laundry machine. We introduced ourselves and my first neighbor friendship began. It was only a few days later that I was heading out at 5am for run that I bumped into him again. This time he was on the balcony smoking a cigarette with the other two neighbors. I remember him waving enthusiastically and me peeking my head out to say hello, only to be offered a beer. I laughed and immediately knew we were going to be real friends soon.
My next encounter with these boys was a few weeks later when I came home from the bar fairly late. They were in their usual spot smoking and I stopped to say hi. About an hour later, I hear a knock on my door and it is none other than my new friend holding two PBRs and wanting to hang out. Already tipsy myself, I agreed and we spent the next several hours talking, and flirting. By the end of the night, I knew him well, but also now knew about a girlfriend that he had. It would only be another week before their relationship would end and thing started heating up between the two of us. We spent the month of August with lots of late night drinks follow up with bad decisions and waking up hung over telling him to go back to his apartment when I left for work. Sometimes I think I had a lapse in judgement during that time. Other times, I think it was a fun month to remind me that I was still young, fun, and desirable. I mean if a 22 year old wants me, clearly I must be okay, right?
Eventually his ex-girlfriend becomes his actual girlfriend again and I am left as just the old neighbor who is fun to drink with and that's it.
Now fast forward to my new living situation. I now live across the street from a 37 year old that I think is adorable and fun and have tried to make clear that I want as my boyfriend. Although he has indicated interest in other women, I continue to crush and crush hard. My days of not knowing my neighbors have come to an end and now I have made it a habit of getting to know them and their bedroom layout.
Friday night, I had a horrible date and when I finally got out of it, I immediately texted my neighbor to see if he was out. While I waited for his response, I also texted my old neighbor the same thing. It was only a short while before I heard from one and headed to meet him then heard from the other and invited him along as well. When the both stood side by side, I couldn't help but blurt out that they could be father and son. They look so much alike but clearly look 15 years apart in age too. I had to laugh at myself - only Jane would hook up with her neighbor, more or less both an old neighbor and a new neighbor, and only Jane would bring them together to figure out that they are actually the same person just generations apart.
