Hallelujah! We're heading back down to 'The Pearl'. Portlanders, you know what Im talking about - non Portlanders, you may not. Its about as opposite as you can get from where we currently are. Now = 1948, traditional sectioned off no closet space house. Move = modern open loft style with concrete pillars and ceiling in a 10 story building with an REI on the lower level. Now = Suburbia with no place to eat or grocery shop within walking distance, have to get on the freeway to get downtown, and there is a Target within a hop, skip and a jump - a sure sign your in the burbs. Move = The Pearl - specifically within walking distance of EVERYTHING. Yes, every single thing in Portland. Maybe that was an exaggeration...but seriously, there is not one thing that I cant walk to from this new place - grocery store, restaurants, dog park, hardware store, public transportation to get husband to work. Wait, crap, there is no Target! We may need to reconsider....
I'll have to carve out special Target travel time, but it will be worth the extra gas. The goal we have with the move is to simplify, simplify, simplify. Smaller; by about 300ish square feet. But the 1700 were getting is much more usable than the 2000 we have now. I also have delusional thoughts that I will be compelled to cook more since the kitchen is open and included in the main room, rather than a galley walkthrough with no social connection to any of the rooms we actually use. This may or may not actually happen. What is a definite possibility is sending Husband down to REI to pick up some dehydrated meals when we have nothing left in the freezer and the 3 blocks to Safeway is just too far away.
We will be missing a yard with the move. I REALLY doubt that we will actually MISS it since we both loathed all the work to keep it from looking like the most neglected yard on the block - but we will no longer have one. That does require getting dressed and actually going down the elevator and outside to let the dogs out to go to the bathroom. This can be Husbands job while Im slaving away in the open kitchen making proper meals.
This move is going to require some purging. I can't wait. I LOVE purging. Although this level of purging is going to require Craigslist and I loath selling things on Craigslist. Oh well, its for the greater good.
Off to pack and purge!
