Moving anywhere after twenty-five years requires some adjustment. We are, after all, creatures of habit. We expect our coffee cup, the bathroom, the grocery store to be in the same place, even if we aren’t. But we’ve traveled enough to adapt to and even enjoy new surroundings. So that’s what I’m trying to so here, even if I can’t seem to hold the big-picture geography in my head–you know, my place in space–without looking out a window.
Seriously, this apartment complex has so many amenities (pool, gym, tennis court), I can easily think of it as a vacation rental, like the condos we’ve rented in Hawaii. That helps. And like being on vacation, I’m learning where all the shops are, including four good markets, two drugstores, and many restaurants, all less than ten minutes away.
Another point that makes this feel like a vacation is that I’m living with a pared down number of possessions. Fewer clothes and shoes. Fewer cooking utensils. Simply less stuff. And you know what? I’m fine. I keep a list handy of things to pick up the next time we’re at the house, but it’s getting shorter, not longer.
Less maintenance too. Smaller house to clean. Fewer bathrooms. No lawns to mow. No garden to weed. See? Vacation!
More good news is that after a week on “vacation,” I’ve had a couple of good night’s sleep in this new space and have set about establishing some familiar habits in my new environment. I’ve even used the gym here. And yesterday I went to the movies with my daughter and her family. For a decade we’ve only been together on vacation. The vacation mindset is once again reinforced.
Now, if I could only get the cabana boy to bring me a tall, frosty drink at poolside.
Lorie Smith Schaefer 
There should be an app for that.
LikeLiked by 1 person
For the cabana boy? You bet!
LikeLike
Really exciting! Enjoy time with your daughter.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Today I’m baking cupcakes with granddaughter. So much fun having her less than a minute walk away.
LikeLike
How wonderful…I love cupcakes….check out my “about me”. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah, you are settling in and beginning to discover the pleasures. When I first moved to Craig, I worried that I couldn’t live in a place where if I couldn’t find something at K Mart or City Market, I couldn’t buy it. Now twenty years later I am an expert online shopper, anticipate trips to Denver or Grand Junction that include some shopping, and appreciate the slow pace and lack of traffic in this small town.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well Lorie, your mindset is right on target! We moved to Fort Walton Beach, Florida about 12 years ago and we still spend our summers in Florida. It helps to live less than a mile from the beach. 😉 ~Elle
LikeLiked by 1 person
A mile from the beach is a pretty sweet deal. Our beach is just up the hill at beautiful Lake Tahoe. I’d like to find a house within walking distance of something–a market, coffee shop, post office. Not many neighborhoods fit that description and are in my desired price range here. For now, this apartment is fine.
LikeLike
Wow Lori,
That certainly does look like the perfect vacation location. How wonderful to call it home.
Clare
LikeLiked by 1 person
For a while anyway. And we’re enjoying the time with our daughter and her family.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Warning! Side effects of vacation mindset may include weight gain. Don’t ask how I know that.
LikeLike