Amazing how fast the last year went. Courtney has had her ups and downs but so far has come out on top. Last September she enrolled in six hours at Arizona State University majoring in social work. It had been a couple of years since she had attended school and was a little nervous about how she would do. She completed the semester with a 3.50 GPA and is currently enrolled in nine hours this semester. School is becoming very enjoyable for her this semester since she has more classes in social work and so far she has a 4.00 GPA. Gaining confidence she enrolled for twelve hours for the fall semester and will take Biology in summer school at a community college. One of her goals now is to graduate with honors.
The cost of living was going up for Courtney - her rent at an Extended Stay hotel was going to double at the end of March. With real estate prices down it became obvious that it would be less expensive in the long run to buy a condo. As luck would have it we found an amazing bargain - and it wasn't even a short sale. A one bedroom condo in downtown Phoenix, built only ten years ago and only a 15 minute drive to school. The condo had gone into foreclosure then was bought by a group from Chicago who went about updating the units. Our condo has brand new wooden floors, basically a new kitchen with new cabinets, stainless appliances, and granite. The bathroom looked like new too with a granite countertop. There is also a one car garage. All this for $69,900. For the first time in three years Courtney feels like she has a real home.
Courtney does realize now just how much she has to lose should she ever drink and drive again. In Phoenix a second conviction could get you six months in jail. Harsh but probably effective. Looking back, however, I do think that the DUI classes Courtney attended for so long really did help her. This type of counseling is a valuable resource in keeping people sober, along with the fear of winding up in tent city for an extended stay.
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