Change is Hard

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