12 years ago I was a renter. I kinda liked where I lived but hated what I lived in. I was renting a 3 bedroom mobile home on 7 acres of wooded land the mosquitoes were horrible though and it made it impossible to be outside even in the middle of the day. I liked that I lived away from town and that it was quiet and peaceful. I hated the cramped living space and lack of storage. With 3 little kids at the time, it seemed I spent more time running an obstacle course of toys then enjoying my home.
I put together a list of what I wanted in a living space, things like more then 1 floor, a 1/2 bath and a separate laundry area on the first floor, at least 4 bedrooms and a detached garage. I wanted to be close to a playground and have room for a small garden. I went to a realtor with my list to find my dream home. After a short time I found it and it have everything that was on my list. I bought the house, moved in and HATED living there. Why? because now I was living in town. I hadn't given any thought to where I was going to live just what the house was like. I really thought that the house was all the matter.
Oh I didn't hate it right away but within a few months I knew I had made a mistake. Everyone knew everything about everybody. I couldn't hang my wash out or I would have the clerk at the grocery store ask where I got the neat new purple sheets. If I had a service person come to the house I would get 4 phone calls asking what had broke. When after 6 months of not loosing the baby fat from baby #5 the rumors were all around town that I was pregnant again.
I spent the next 10 years complaining and planning my escape!
This time around I decided that although there were definitely certain things that I wanted and needed in my new home - I also needed to live in an area that I loved. I had to make some compromising with the house to get the area. I no longer have a half bath, in fact we only have 1 bathroom and it is on the first floor. The carpets are worn and the drywall is nicked and needs to be painted. The sinks all leak and the windows are drafty. I no longer have a 2 car detached garage but I now have a barn. We are 7 miles from the schools and 16 miles from the closest Wal~Mart but I wouldn't trade it in.
Last night I stood outside and looked up at the sky and saw thousands of stars. Stars that were invisible when I lived in town. I said a pray of thanks to GOD for bringing me to this area. I went out side this morning and took a deep breath of country air and listened to the silence and was filled with peace.
I know for some the city is the only place they could ever live and for others it is country living all the way. But does the house you live in make you happier in where you are OR is it really the area? I learned the hard way, at least for me, it is where I am not what I live in.
~Just Me
We were house hunting 33 years ago, right about now. Baby #2 was coming and we needed to get out of our little apartment. WHERE we lived wasn't as important as a sturdy house with three bedrooms, in a good school district and close to things like stores and playgrounds. You can find those things OUT of a town, but we found our home in a small town near a big city. It had all the requirements. If I were doing it again, I wouldn't buy a home that's 100 years old. Even after all this time, we're still fixing and repairing constantly. But we've been happy here, and my kids were happy living in a home where they could walk nearly anyplace they wanted to go. And my neighbors have never been nosy. Guess it all depends on the town!
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