I'm a homeowner now
Years in the making, we have bought our first home! Still parsing what that means for my life. Still grasping at all the projects that are now on my plate.
It doesn't even feel real sometimes. Like I'm once again hanging out at an Airbnb to escape the apartments of the past.
You don't realize how cramped and enslaving apartments are until you're out. All this weight has been lifted now. If I want to paint the walls or set up a garden or smoke a cigar, I can!
Today I was commenting on the light. My previous apartments were dungeons. What are windows or sunlight when all you have are a 1 bed, 1 bath, 800sqft apartment under the canopy of WA? Now we have tons of windows, porch, and backyard to soak up the rays!
And oh man, my own office! Like a for-real office! Even when I lived alone I didn't have a dedicated room to use for all my tech and work needs. I was always relegated to a corner of a living room. Being able to have a different zone for all my office stuff is crazy! Even having shelves and a closet for my office is crazy!
Our dog can run around! We have a yard and no longer have to keep him leashed! What a life! Let's ignore that I now have to mow that yard.
In my short time living in my home it seems so obvious. A house was always necessary. It feels so dumb how much of a life upgrade it is. Almost seems that maybe every young adult's primary goal should be to buy a house. House before a cool car. House before a vacation. Obviously having the cash to do so is crazy difficult. But maybe, just maybe, I would have architected my life differently if I had known.
That's not without recognizing the blessings that have occurred to put me in this position. We're doing well for ourselves financially and still struggled to find a reasonably priced house. Not everyone is in the same position.
We made some concessions to make this happen however. We're now 1.5 hours away from Seattle and my work office. The drive is brutal and public transit hasn't matured here. Not enough to make several bus rides worthwhile vs driving.
Aside from endless house projects, what's in the future now? That's the big question! I'm wondering how this enables my future goals. Between the mortgage and the house projects I have less fun money, but not to a crippling level. It has been a struggle to not lose myself in this process. Looking forward to the house while simultaneously maintaining traction on what I want the rest of my life to look like.
For now I'll keep enjoying my morning coffee in my backyard. 😎