Ok folks, I'm going to try this thing again. One. Last. Time.
Recently, it has seemed like life is moving faster than I can handle.
With showers, birthdays, and work, work work; there isn't much free time
left to blog.
Anyway, on the first of October, Casey
and I moved into a new apartment downtown. While we LOVE our new
apartment. We have learned a lot of life lessons. Rough beat you up
kind of lessons, but we have mainly learned that change is hard.
After
living at the same place for almost four years (a small triplex in the
suburbs), Casey and I uprooted our small family of two and two pups and
trucked it downtown. While we have enjoyed our new home, we have
learned several things.
1. Grass is scarce and
precious. Yes, grass is hard to find; however the dogs have adjusted
quite easily and can now take care of business on both gravel and
concrete.
2. Old buildings sometimes mean old parking garages.
This was the most painful lesson to learn (literally). My car rolled
down the ramp and hit a concrete wall resulting in a head contusion and
whiplash. Ouchie.
3. You have to get on a highway to get to a
grocery store, so be PREPARED. If you forget something, you will have to
go to the only grocery store within walking distance to pay $6 for
fancy schmancy organic butter.
4. Living downtown means we're
that much farther from our family and friends. I know it only adds
about 15 minutes, but sometimes it feels like we might as well be in
Alaska.
However, we have also learned that...
1.
Arts and culture are readily available at your fingertips. Like the
ballet? The symphony? Care to take a walk through a museum? You got
it! Would you like to Tango in Klyde Warren Park. You got it! I LOVE
that about our neighborhood.
2. We live in a building with tenants
in our peer group. This may sound dumb, but I have the "grass is
always greener" syndrome when it comes to my age. I'm always trying to
grow up too fast, and then once I get there I wish I was right back
where I started. In a word - it's EXHAUSTING. Not to mention it puts
way too much pressure on yourself and your spouse.
3. Living
farther away from your family means that you have to rely more on your
spouse. The ole "leave and cleave"! This is a really hard concept to
grasp when you're first married, especially if you deeply respect your
parents and their opinions. However, this has been a good thing because
it has forced me and Casey to become a more cohesive family unit - a
better team, and make decisions for us by us.
4. Sometimes the
best way to learn and evolve is to grow where you're planted. Through
it all, we have learned that home is where the FAMILY is. As long as
you have a few pieces of furniture, a couple of nails, and some artwork
to make things feel more welcoming; you can make home anywhere.
Anyway, that's my two cents for today. Enjoy the sneak peek below, and hope you stop by the concrete jungle soon!
-TW