Trying something new

There will be no more stripping paint. There will be no more refinishing floors. There will be no more long afternoons spent planting flowers and raking leaves. No more drafty rooms. We are trying something new.

For the last 15 years, Eddie and I owned old houses. We reveled in the front porch time and enjoyed the hardwood floors, crown molding and big windows that they had to offer. It was work, work, work all the time, as one thing or another had to be fixed, maintained or renovated. But, we kept doing it. It was worth it to us. When we got married, we thought things would get easier as we joined forces with our 1920's bungalow. They were not. We continued to enjoy the trees and the front porch and the molding and windows, but we started asking ourselves-- "What if we lived in a place that didn't have a yard?" Or, "what if we lived in a place that didn't need so much upkeep?" Just think of all the tennis we could play, all the money we could save, and all the time we would have.

We also thought about what we would lose-- the grand front porch, the old neighborhood feel, the beauty and uniqueness of an older home. We thought about things like the attic fan and windows that kept our energy costs down. We thought about the garden and the compost that saved us money and helped us live greener. It was a tough decision, but we decided to take the plunge. We sold the old bungalow in favor of a newer condominium unit. We sold some of the antique furniture (but kept most of it). We sold our lawn mower and most of the gardening tools (our former neighbors quickly took them off our hands). We kept the pots and planters for the patio.

So, how has it gone? Well, we've had a lot of time to discuss it as we relax at the nearby coffee house, and early polling data shows a tremendous success. There were some initial adjustments to central air conditioning (how do I work this thermostat?) and covered parking, but most things have fallen right into place. Personally, I can't say that I miss much from the old house, except that sometimes it was nice to turn the dog out in the yard instead of having to walk her every time. But, that's small potatoes. It turns out that our new neighborhood is even more walkable than the old. We can walk (or bike) to grocery stores, restaurants, coffee houses and shopping. Good stuff.

It was scary at first to leave a lifestyle and area of town that we had known for so long, but I'm glad we did it. No regrets. Change is good sometimes. Most of the time, if you listen to your heart and follow the signs, you will end up right where you are supposed to be.