Settling In
I am in my new home, trying to settle in as quickly as possible after what turned out to be a tremendously stressful move involving a cranky buyer, creepy lawyer, and slippery real estate agent. I’m glad to know the worst is over and that I’m now inhabiting a quieter, freer, more peaceful abode. I’m thankful for that. But I’d be lying if I said that this long process has been one big flowery bed of roses. It’s been more like a dank, smelly mire.
After I sold my condo and closed on the new house, I was quickly overwhelmed (terrified) by the massive amount of work the new home needs to bring it up to standard. Although I was aware that I’d need to put some elbow grease into the new house to make it a comfortable home, it was only after the closing that reality sank in. It hit me all at once: this place needs a lot of work.
That’s the funny thing about buying a home (especially an older home) in a frantic seller’s market. After you have the keys, you might see the place in an entirely different light.
Before the closing, I had so much to deal with—paperwork, negotiating, arranging movers, trying to keep up with work—that nothing really registered for me until after the move. And when it did finally sink in, I fell fast into a mean red funk—a condition more commonly described as buyer’s remorse. I wandered from room to room wondering what the hell was I thinking? I made a list of all the things that needed fixing or buying or disinfecting before I could feel comfortable in this place. It was one long list, let me tell you. After a while, I just threw it away because it was freaking me out.
Fortunately, I’m over that dreadful stage now. I’m moving forward with resolve. I made a new, level-headed list of the fixes and improvements that need to be done. I’ll tackle those things when the time comes. But first I must unpack, clean, sort, and settle in. And I must see the good in all of this, because it is there. It just requires me to select a healthy perspective. I need to adjust my attitude. In the immortal words of Winston Churchill, I must KBO: Keep Buggering On.
Assortment
- Shoulda Woulda Coulda
- Every time I visit places west of the 100th meridian, I realize how much I miss making art. There is something about the light and the colors in the rock and the warmth of the sun that makes me want to be outside sketching and painting and drawing.
- Kapalua Views
- This is shaping up to be the oddest trip we’ve had to Hawaii. The rubbery leaves slap against one another in the breeze.
- Low Altitude Flight
- I’ve not blogged for a while so let me quickly summarize the past several months. In June, I put my house on the market, received an offer after a few weeks, and closed at the end of July.
