I just unpacked my last box!
I love the house. This marks my first full week spent in the place, and now that everything’s put away, I feel like I can breathe a little more easily. I’ve only got about half the house painted, but at least it’s the important half: master bedroom, living room, hallways and kitchen. Right now, I’m doing a load of (FREE) laundry, I’ve got the fireplace lit, and I’m thinking about running to Target for the 500th time to pick up some household items. The rest of me just wants to make lunch and then go take a nap.
Things I’ve noticed about living here:
1. I’m in the sticks, big-time. There’s a horse farm in my direct line of sight from my living room. It’s actually really picturesque; on nice days, I look out my window and see horses milling about in tranquil fashion. It takes 10 minutes to go anywhere because Target, Cub, and other various big-box locations are at least 6 miles away. That’s not SO bad, but it does make “just running out” a little more of a chore than it used to be. On the plus side, there’s a grocery store and other small locations (gas station, some cute cafes and such) just down the street from me, so I do have choices.
But you know, even though it’s only been a week, I have to say that being near all this green space and wild areas (there’s a large regional park only a couple miles away, and the complex is surrounded by wetlands) really just does nice things for my mental state. I’m surrounded by people, true, and I have whatever modern conveniences at hand that I wish, but if I want to see some wide-open areas, gorgeous lakes and huge trees, all I have to do is look out my window or drive down the street. I love that.
2. It’s SO QUIET here! I treasure quiet, so boy, did I make a good choice in that respect. It is so quiet here that if I don’t have the TV or radio on, I can actually hear the blood rushing through my ears. It’s sensory-deprivation quiet. Even with the window open, I may hear *a* car drive by, or some people outside walking their dog. Otherwise, nothing. I’m in an interior unit (I share two walls) and I haven’t heard a peep from either neighbor. Hurray for double soundproofing!
3. I don’t have a hall closet of any kind. Hrm. I’ll have to get a coat rack for guests to hang their coats.
4. Having an attached garage with an automatic door opener, my own washer and dryer, and fireplace is everything I thought it could be and more.
Being that it’s my first month here, I’m trying to be a little conservative with my energy usage. Not doing partial loads of laundry or dishes, not running the fireplace all day long no matter how tempting and pretty it is, not leaving lights on. Of course a 1900 sq. ft. house is going to cost more to operate than a 750 sq. ft. apartment, and I’ve budgeted on the high end for what I estimate the utilities will be, but I’m trying not to give myself too much of a sticker shock when that first bill arrives.
Otherwise, the only things left to do now include painting the other rooms, and starting to save for and buy furnishings. I need curtains and curtain hardware and a dining room table to start, so if nothing else, nobody will be wondering what to get me for Christmas for a few years. But I’ve got 30 years to furnish the place, so no rush. 