Today we ventured into a local "gourmet food store" with the hopes of finding a few European products. Instead, I walked out with some American delicacies from their gourmet bakery, chocolate chip cookies and brownies. Gianna gave them two thumbs up.
We have made a few life decisions that have somewhat put my mind at ease. If we can only survive the summer, life should get a little better. The plan is to fix up the house and put it on the market ASAP. New flooring is going in sometime in the next two weeks. Then we need to remodel the master bath and fix a few odds and ends. After the house is under contract, we will move into a rental closer to the city where Dan can walk or ride bike to the train station and my commute is 15 mins or less. Dan will still have a relatively long commute, but not 1.5 hrs. And having only one car will be less of an inconvenience if he does not need rides to/from the train station. We hope to find a community where we can walk to a playground and grocery store...well, I'd just settle for a playground or park. Gianna can't understand why everything is so far away here. Why do we need to get in the car and drive 15 mins to the playground? Can't we just walk 5 mins like in Germany? Clearly we are not in Germany anymore and will have to adjust our expectations.
Today we ventured into a local "gourmet food store" with the hopes of finding a few European products. Instead, I walked out with some American delicacies from their gourmet bakery, chocolate chip cookies and brownies. Gianna gave them two thumbs up.
We have made a few life decisions that have somewhat put my mind at ease. If we can only survive the summer, life should get a little better. The plan is to fix up the house and put it on the market ASAP. New flooring is going in sometime in the next two weeks. Then we need to remodel the master bath and fix a few odds and ends. After the house is under contract, we will move into a rental closer to the city where Dan can walk or ride bike to the train station and my commute is 15 mins or less. Dan will still have a relatively long commute, but not 1.5 hrs. And having only one car will be less of an inconvenience if he does not need rides to/from the train station. We hope to find a community where we can walk to a playground and grocery store...well, I'd just settle for a playground or park. Gianna can't understand why everything is so far away here. Why do we need to get in the car and drive 15 mins to the playground? Can't we just walk 5 mins like in Germany? Clearly we are not in Germany anymore and will have to adjust our expectations.
Huzzah to you! We bought our house on those very same principles. I will walk to work, we will have one car and during the pleasant months, we can bike to almost everything we need. Do you think we are a trend?
ReplyDeleteThanks @Jenni. Actually, some ppl have been critical: doesn't EVERYONE want to live in the suburbs with a huge house, huge yard, and two cars? Isn't that the American dream? It's not my dream, not anymore. I like the city. I like walking/biking/taking public transport. It's healthier for my family, the environment, and my pocketbook.
ReplyDelete@Barb: those pictures of the cookies and brownie look delicious. I think they look better than any pastry pic from Germany.
That is why we live in Metuchen! Come on, it is a great place (and you want to move near us) Alex has a 4 min. bike ride. For years we had one car. When Heather passed, we bought her car but it mostly sits in the driveway.
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