Goodbye Old Life...

Several weeks ago I finally bit the bullet and removed all of my belongings from my parents house. I thought I should take a moment to reflect on what that house has meant to me.

For 26 years of life this house has been my only permanent address. I have lived in 3 of its rooms, which means I've occupied more rooms than any other family member. My final room, pictured below, was created for me when I decided to move back home after college. It was a room we never used, it mostly gathered junk and spiders- so the thought of moving down there for more space AND my own entrance was exciting but also challenging. Together my Dad and I covered the cement foundation- yep, I lived in a basement- with drywall. We mudded, taped, painted and hired someone to lay the tile. Here's an interesting fact: we had two different people do the tiling downstairs and my room is about 2 inches higher than the rest of the basement which is not only evident at the entry points but also by the # of stubbed toes it has created. I like to think of it as my own little booby trap. Can I say "booby" on a blog?

Anyway, it was a good little room. Kind of like my own studio apartment but without the kitchen. Perfect if you ask me...who doesn't want their parents cooking for them until the ripe age of 26? Thanks Mom and Dad! It was intended to be a temporary home while I got on my feet, found a job, made friends, etc. I had thought about buying a condo but then I worked at KJR FM selling radio advertising which was 100% commission and then I quit and decided to work at Costco where I was paid hourly and couldn't afford to move out. Thus entered plan B- don't move out until I get married! Brilliant. So, in the basement I stayed from Oct. 2002 to Mar. 2007, my how time flew. And it only took me 5 months to move out after the wedding. Now if only I could get around to finishing those thank you notes...