18 year marriage & 8.5 months later from initial separation (and after 6 honestly very fast months from filing after new years),I am officially divorced.

Ultimately it was a failure in my life but it’s also granted me a strange harvest. My marriage was a fruitless tree and even though I had thought that was it for me, I’m grateful for the lessons. Onward and upward.

Getting stronger. Went up 3 grades in rock climbing which isn’t saying much since I was doing v2, my health is so much better, I’ve lost 47 lbs. I can start to see lines in my stomach come thru, going back to school, I left her every single thing we’ve accumulated over 18 years but no spousal support and I kept my 401k & pension intact. Idk how I pulled that off lol I think it was guilt in her end tbh. Pretty sure she posted a couple photo today from what a mutual friend was asking me. I’m not interested in posting anything lol or knowing for certain what it was which also is a big deal I think. Maybe some curiosity but no interest honestly. My life is my own now and excited to keep evolving. I want to be a fucking unit by years end. Have gone on 5 dates but I mostly find myself lamenting the time wasted and the money spent even if it’s for a damn coffee haha I’m not cheap it’s just I’m so done wasting. Time, energy, money, etc. Anyways, I’m very grateful for this damn group. Learned and learning a lot still. I spent my whole adult life with this one person and am free to a world that isn’t even recognizable. I’m excited to continue to build. I am so far from the man who was left after a severe car accident and mother being hospitalized the same week my ex told me she wanted a divorce because she met someone else. And despite having progressed and feeling so distant from that person, I’m proud of him for not begging and leaving the next day. Im so grateful for that. I prayed and accepted the reality and of course just experienced the pain. I don’t even know where I’m going either this but if it helps someone keep there chin up or see an example of someone that’s feeling good, I just wanted to share. No kids fortunately but some tough and message situations absolutely in the last 8 months, so what I may not be able to offer you in wisdom, I more than can help as a model of resilience at the very worst. I’ll be around but god bless you and Godspeed.