Jake and I went away to Utah over the weekend for a snowboarding trip with a few of our friends. We stayed at a beautiful resort in Snowbird, celebrated my brothers 30 birthday and had a great time.
On Monday night, we took the redeye back to NYC. After dropping Jake off in midtown a little after 7am Tuesday morning so he could head downtown for work, I headed home uptown. I was exhausted and annoyed that I had to stop at 10th ave to get gas. I was very cranky after being stuck in traffic and looking for a parking spot and trying to not fall asleep at the wheel while doing so, I had a quick thought that this morning could not get worse.
Then I walked into my apartment and immediately knew something was wrong.
The first thing I noticed was the the coat closet door was open. I thought it seemed weird that I would leave that open on my way out of town. Then I walked into the living room and put down my suitcases. I looked into my bedroom and saw the cedar chest at the end of my bed had been pushed over a few feet. I thought “why would Jake move that?”. Then I remembered that I had picked up Jake from work before we went to the airport for our trip, and I was the last person in the apartment. Then I looked on the floor and saw my sewing scissors in front of the cedar chest, they were broken. The denial was starting to fade, and the reality that someone had been in my home set in.
I didn’t really know what to do. What if he was hiding behind my shower curtain? Should I call 911 or look up the number for the Precinct in my neighborhood? I decided on 911 and looked for more clues while I cried to the dispatcher. Most anything with a drawer had been gone through. There was a giant shoe print on my white couch from where he came in through the window. The curtain and rods were in pieces on the floor from a difficult entrance (they repelled into my window from my roof). The window to my fire escape was open from when he exited. My beloved antique cedar chest had been chipped and pried open with my heavy duty sewing scissors (which ended up breaking). The cops came within minutes and were thankfully very helpful. My super and landlord spent the day helping me fix up my windows so that it wont happen again.
It’s crazy. In the last day, I have spent every waking moment thinking about it. Someone was in my home. What did they want? I don’t know how I’ll ever think about anything else ever again.
Β But, as much as this whole thing has scared me, I feel very lucky that scared is all I am. I’m not hurt or raped or dead. We’ll get over the few things that are broken or missing.
I don’t know how to end this post.
Sorry to hear this! So glad to hear that no one was hurt.
Poor Reagan. I’m sorry.
This happened to me, too, in October, just a couple weeks after my new husband and i had moved to a new house in a new city, to be close to his children. Thankfully, no one was home when it happened, and only my stuff was taken (computer and jewelry). I was seriously creeped out to think that someone has access to my photos and email, and devastated that s/he has probably sold my heirloom jewelry to some scrap collectors. I did sleep with a knife the first time I had to stay alone after that… But now I’ve downgraded to just a pair of folding scissors! 
Maybe you can take a little comfort in knowing it could’ve been worse. I did, anyway. Also, a friend told me that just like with lightning, you will probably only be struck once, so now you can move on! Glad to hear you are not trying not to dwell on it too much. Hope you feel better and better!
My mom’s house has been broken into twice–the police think it was someone who knew my brother, as only things from his room were taken, though my mom’s room and the living room were ransacked. It is an AWFUL feeling, but will fade, I promise. I’m really sorry this happened.