Eight months after my breakup, my home is still a work in progress. So am I.

Courtesy of the author My husband and I separated after spending half our lives together.

I moved into a nearly empty home with our three young children.

Decorating the space helped me reconnect with who I was outside my marriage.

It was getting late, and the movers still hadn't arrived with the beds or the crib, so I tucked my three kids (5, 2, and 11 months) into bed on an air mattress on the floor of an otherwise empty bedroom.

I wanted to tell the kids that, once everything was set up, their room wouldn't look so bland.

But the truth was, even with all of our belongings moved in, we'd only have the essentials.

I'd sold a lot of furniture and decor ahead of the move (both to get some extra cash and make the moving process less strenuous).

Plus, my ex was keeping some of our shared possessions.

When all was said and done, I was down to the basics.

After the kids fell asleep, I stood in my new empty living room .

I realized this: At 34, I was starting over.

I met my husband when we were 17 My husband and I met when we were 17 and were together for the next 17 years.

We always used to say we were lucky to have met so early and grown up together.

We thought we'd be together forever.