We're not in Kansas anymore. Just kidding we never were. But seriously... we aren't. We moved from the city to the country since the last time I have written a blog. And its safe to say I feel a bit like Dorothy. Every thing is new and wonderful... and unfamiliar. We have bears in our back yard. Strange bugs. Noises that we have never heard before. A quiet darkness (by which I mean you cant see 2 feet in front of you at night) its peaceful and tranquil and fucking creepy all at the same time.
There are turkey vultures, spiders on steroids, and moths bigger than birds. Our neighbors are nice, friendly, they even invite you over for no reason at all... I know so weird... right?! All of this newness makes me want to smile and wave and invite them over for coffee and lock my doors, shut my blinds, and run away. Talk about feeling conflicted. I have been burned before and it makes me leery of forming new friendships.
REWIND (sometime in 2015)
My home town. My house. I felt like both were closing in on me. Suffocating me. I hated the school. The mayor. The moms. I'd burned every bridge to every meaningful friendship that I had made there (with no regrets). Well maybe one... that I let them go to me the way they did. However at this point if I could tell those ex "friends" one thing it would be...go f@*% yourself... where did that come from??? I meant I would tell them thank you. And I do mean that. Without their total shitfullness to push me over the edge I'd probably still be daydreaming about a house in the country instead of living in one.
So we decide to move. Easy peasy put this house for sale and off we go right? Wrong. So, so wrong. Who knew the process of buying and selling is long and excruciating. I'm gonna assume anyone who has bought and sold property before. If you haven't already you can thank me later on for the heads up. (your welcome).
Selling. Like we can totally do this ourselves... I mean why not I see "for sale by owner" all the time and with the internet... nope. Just no. Don't do it. I mean people came to see it. One family even came three times. Talked to us about loving the house, the neighborhood, the block... etc. Their last visit to the house they asked to see the attic. Sure. Go right on up. I stood on the second floor landing with this prospective buyers wife chatting about babies while he climbed the stairs to where the drop down ladder was for the attic. Yup right there just pull that string down and the ladder is in there. He pulls the string. The door flies open and like a scene from a horror movie out drops a giant dead black bird. I dont blame them for fleeing the house like it was on fire. If I were them I would I have totally seen this as a bad omen and fled as well! We never heard from them again.
My husband came home from work later that day and I said remember when I told you I thought I heard scratching in the attic a few months back and you said you would check it out... but you never did. And then the scratching just stopped and you said whatever it was left? Well you were wrong. It died. And it practically attacked that nice couple that was interested in the house. Now we will be here forever.
Forever is what it felt like too. We finally decided to hire a realtor. That went well. By well I mean during our first open house I returned home to get something to find the realtor next door showing my neighbors house while people wandered around ours completely unattended. We took the house off the market and decided all these mishaps were a sign that it wasn't the right time.
It really wasn't. I didn't believe that then. I believed the universe was conspiring to keep me trapped in this is tiny two faced town. Truth is I was running away. Running away from mean girls and broken relationships that were too close for comfort. Running away from gossip and public problems I encountered with the school system. You never want to leave because your running away. Go because your moving towards something.
Over the year that it took us to sell the house I had time to make peace with some things and figure out what we were moving towards. By the time we found our new house and sold our old one... I was no longer running... just moving on. And it felt so good. It felt right.
Moving in.
Finally both houses were closed on. Of course not with out some hiccups. Some people would not call their buyer taking a spontaneous trip to India for an undetermined amount of time hours before the closing a hiccup... and truthfully neither would I. As it was happening I recall a few choice words I had for it and hiccup was not one of them. But I'm like Theresa Guidice post jail time.... all zen and namaste btiches. So hiccup it is.
The hiccups cleared up and here we are all moved in. Which has been fun. For one I got to pintrest like it was my job and instead of just pinning a bunch of stuff that I will never actually follow through on my entire house now reflects my pinning dedication. It also reflects in our bank account. Don't tell my husband.
We also go to do other fun stuff.. like learn about septic systems (gag) and water softners... lots of really fun things. We got an education about local bears and what they will do to your garbage if you leave it outside the house. Funny story: A friend of mine also from the city said to me have you seen many bears up there? I said yes but only on garbage days so far. Her reply... How do they know its garbage day?
Me: I don't think they have it marked on a calendar in their den... pretty sure they just smell the garbage out.
We both had a good laugh.
Our new house has a hot tub. Something I have always wanted. I couldn't wait to use it. And then I couldn't wait to get out of it. You know what cicadas sound like on a summer night in the country??? like the apocalypse!
All kidding aside we love our new home... wild life, neighbors, and all. Moving on and moving in have been overwhelming and incredibly welcomed. I finally feel like I can breathe again.
