Things I've learned

1) Sometimes, size does matter.

2) They like me! They really like me!

3) Never underestimate the importance of a kitchen.

Oh, you would like me to elaborate, would you?...
All right then, here we go...

1) Sometimes, size does matter.
When one is accustomed to living in a 4-bedroom house with a 198 sq. ft. home office and an even larger bedroom, not to mention a kitchen chock-full of cabinet space, plus an additional 50 sq. ft. of storage space in the garage (and that was just my share of the available space), it is a rude awakening to find that what is available for rent in one's price bracket is generally only about half as much space (if that). The first place I looked at in my housing quest was an old Victorian on the West side of Flip Flop. The square footage of the two rooms together only added up to 240 sq. ft. and both the kitchen and living room were lacking in space and already crowded with other tenants' "stuff." So, despite the fact that I really liked the folks living there, and I thought we'd be a good match as co-habiters, I had to turn it down because it just wasn't enough space. The next place I looked at was an "economy" apartment--2 small bedrooms, a tiny kitchen, tiny bathroom, and no living room whatsoever. Total square footage?... 323 sq. ft. You get the picture. It was quite discouraging. I really wanted to find a place where I could live comfortably without having to give up half of my furniture and a large portion of my "stuff."

2) They like me! They really like me!
The Victorian was, perhaps, a good place to have begun my quest. The size issue was discouraging, but that was a needed reality check. I needed to realize, right from the beginning, that I was going to have to scale down. That helped to prepare me a bit for what was ahead. But the bigger reason that was a good starting place was that it was good for my ego. (Mind you, being asked to leave my home after 15 years of tenancy was no picnic, so I deserved a little boost.) Before I even saw the place I had a half-hour phone conversation with Peter, the other downstairs tenant--the man I would've been sharing the kitchen, bath and living room with, had I chosen to move in. He called me from Germany to conduct this "interview" and we were both so enjoying the conversation that we ended up chatting for over 30 minutes. The next day I went to see the house and meet the upstairs housemates. Again, we "hit it off." I liked the people so much that I was almost willing to overlook the more practical aspects. They offered me the rooms and I told them I needed to think about it. The more I thought about it, the more I realized the physical impossibility of fitting myself (my stuff) into that house. I dreaded calling to tell them "no" because I had liked them so much and I had been so hopeful that this would somehow work out. I got up the nerve to make the call, thanked them for their time and for offering the place to me, and explained that it simply wasn't enough space for me. Within 24 hours I got another call from Peter, this time from England. He left a message saying that he'd gotten word that I'd turned down the place due to space issues, and offered to share his office space with me, if that would help. He was extremely accommodating, and, in fact did say, "Everybody likes you and we think you'd make a nice housemate." I still had to turn him down. A few extra sq. feet wasn't going to cut it. I wanted someplace I could bring my couches and a kitchen with enough cupboard space for all of my dishes, glasses and baking pans. (Not to mention closet space.) But, as I continued my quest, I realized that, as tenants go, I'm a catch! (Not just as a tenant, actually, but we've already covered that. :] ) Seriously though--a mature single female with no pets, two steady jobs and 15 years of tenancy at my most recent residence--who could ask for more?! Add to that the fact that I'm one person looking for a two-bedroom place and you've got a winning combination. Almost every place I looked at was offered to me without my even filling out an application. A couple were willing to drop the rent a bit for me as well. If it weren't for the fact that each place I looked at seemed to be smaller or somehow more depressing than the last, I would've been very hopeful. Just when it seemed I was doomed to live somewhere tiny or depressing, I suddenly had two good options to choose from. This brings us to lesson #3...

3) Never underestimate the importance of a kitchen.
As I continued on my quest, the common theme I kept coming back to, although I wasn't aware of it at first, was "Can I see myself entertaining here?" "Can I cook here?" It wasn't until I was considering a somewhat odd, but nonetheless nice (and _affordable_) mother-in-law apartment, that I realized how important it was/is to me to have a kitchen. This place was equipped with a hot plate, microwave and toaster oven, but no real oven--no place to bake cookies or banana bread or my now-legendary "Resurrection cake." How could I properly entertain if I didn't have a real kitchen? I had to turn it down. In the end, just before I landed here, I was offered two sunny rooms in a beautiful shared home with two really wonderful people who, again, I hit it off with right away. This time, space wasn't so much of an issue, as the rooms were decent sized, the closets were large, and there was some additional storage space available in the garage. Yes, I would've had to leave my couches behind, as the shared rooms of the house were already furnished, but the kids would've been happy to keep them, I'm sure. Yet, as beautiful as the house was (and the view--wow!) and as much as I liked the people, it still didn't feel quite right. I thought about it. I prayed about it. I asked other people to pray about it for me. And, eventually, it came down to this--I couldn't picture myself cooking in their kitchen. It was very much _their_ kitchen, with just one or two cupboards available for the incoming tenant and I just couldn't picture myself at home there. And so, I turned it down and ended up here, in my very own 2-bedroom apartment. I'm still adjusting to apartment living, but I'm thoroughly enjoying the freedom of having my own place, my own space, my own kitchen!! I'm not unpacked yet, but I've made the kitchen my #1 priority and I am making progress. So, if you're in the area, please, drop on by for a cup of tea, a bottle of beer or a glass of wine. We can sit on the balcony and smell the ocean air. Cheers!