The down-side of downsizing – Autumn Marie Amore

Leaving this beautiful, spacious home is harder than I thought it would be. Andrew said this morning, “we always new it would suck,” but I didn’t realize how much it would “suck.” I keep telling myself that “it’s only temporary–if we want it to be.” We wanted to be moved into the school district we had chosen before school and orchestra season started (instead of waiting for our house to sell). Plus, by actually living in Minneapolis we will have the opportunity to familiarize ourselves with the area and see where we’d truly enjoy living the most. But the frugal bug bit me, and I started salivating over all of the extra cash we’d have with a much less expensive property, and this thought pretty much sealed the deal in my mind, and I thought, “we should just live there forever.” My thought as of today, July 14th, 2016, is: “I’m not sure it is worth it.” The size is pretty much perfect (I think), and we do plan to add a bathroom to the top level (the master suite). We are going from five spacious bathrooms, to two tiny ones–and only one has showering/bathing facilities. The bathrooms do not have counters which is great for my three non-vain wash-and-go family members, but for me, it’s a bit tricky. When at the new house this past week, I used our oversized oak cutting board and placed it on top of the pedestal sink as a makeshift counter. It did work well plus it stores nicely between the radiator and the sink base. I find that the forced creativity of small-space living to be fun, for now. 😉

I am not sure exactly what it is that makes me sad about the new house: maybe it is the the old carpeting–I positively detest carpet (but, we are planning on ripping that out Friday before we move in) or maybe it is the one stall dilapidated garage (that we are planning to tear down next spring), or the green chain-link fence (that we are removing this summer and replacing with a privacy fence), or the dungeonesqe laundry room with the beyond disturbing wash tub (that we are replacing with a shiny new white one), or maybe it is all of the seemingly overwhelming to-do’s combined. As charming as this 1930’s Tudor House is, the transition has truly been a culture shock that I did not expect. Oh well, we are not moving for the house, but for the opportunities Minneapolis holds for all of us. As Andrew lovingly reminds me, “it does not need to be permanent. We can to move to Spain if we so desire.”

The girls have been in Tennessee for the past 3 1/2 weeks. We drive down tomorrow to spend the weekend with them and will have the pleasure of attending their concerts in person. And then Monday morning we will whisk them away from their violin focused days back to Iowa to pack up and load the truck. They have enjoyed the Sewanee Summer Music Festival immensely. It has helped to confirm that they are on the right track with their violin studies. The days are long and hard, but they go to bed happy with that priceless feeling of contentment that only comes from working hard on something that you love and find valuable. And, drum roll: they both were accepted into the top Minneapolis youth orchestra under the direction of Dr. Mark Russel Smith (whom we all admire). They are both anxious to move and are ready for new challenges–after all, they are my adventurous globe-trotting ex-pat kids.

Well, the glitz and glamour of moving has worn off and I am officially mourning this home, this life, and the friendships we are leaving behind. It’s hard. But, as my good friend Delaine (my Friday walking buddy) says “it’s good to travel light, and be a gypsy.”

xoxo ~Autumn

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