Every time I move I say that I’m never going to move again but of course, I do. You can chalk it up to being from a military family. Moving was just part of our lives like the commissary and talking in acronyms. Of my family, I’m probably the one who enjoyed moving the most. I know my parents were often stressed out by the moves and my brother didn’t ever seem to be as excited as I was about a new place. I always looked at our moves as adventures—new towns, new houses and new friends.
I’ve kept that same feeling towards moving as I went out on my own. In college (and immediately after) I moved pretty frequently as space needs and budget allowed. My last major move was from Virginia to California—also my first cross-country move done on my own. I'm proud of myself for accomplishing that one.
Over the Thanksgiving weekend, I moved from one apartment to another in Alameda. Did I need to move? No. Am I glad I moved? Absolutely. I have fallen in love with my new apartment. If my apartment was a guy, I’d want to marry him that’s how much I love this place.
I love old buildings. One of the great things about living in New Orleans was so many of the apartments had character. Many were older homes that had been converted into apartments so they had cool things like hardwood floors, fireplaces (that didn’t necessary work) and crown molding. The apartment I recently moved into is from the 30s (like many buildings on the island) and has the same lovely touches that I’ve missed the last 5 years. Living in complexes has been pretty lame.
Here are some of my favorite things about my new apartment.
 |
| The phone—when I looked at the apartment the property manager told me that the phone used to be hooked up to the intercom system. Now they’re just decoration. In some apartments they’re painted gold. |
 |
| The cabinet in the kitchen—I collect Fiestaware (it’s a family addiction). Doesn’t the cabinet display my collection so beautifully? |
 |
| The security chain—it’s on the bottom of the door. I don’t know why I love that so much but I do. Safety first, friends. |
 |
| The icebox—the kitchen is incredibly tiny so I have to use all spaces available. The icebox is now storage for cat food and plastic containers. I wanted to put my cookbooks in here but they wouldn’t fit |
 |
| The random closet—there is a vanity in the closet. This is not in my bedroom but it’s pretty great. Will I put on makeup in front of the mirror? Probably not but the lighting is exceptional. And the best thing about this building:  The elevator. You have to open a door, then the grate and close them behind you. You can see the doors to the other floors as you ascend. It’s both charming and creepy all at the same time. The apartment also has a lot of light, storage and Pumpkin seems happy. There are lots of other things I love about this apartment but what’s best about it is that I finally feel at home in Alameda. It’s the right amount of quirky and homey. I don’t see myself moving anytime soon. Maybe that’s the start of becoming a local: finding a place to call home. And my favorite Mötley Crüe song is “Without You.” This has to be the most literal interpretation of a song I've ever seen. Is it just me or is the rain supposed to symbolize Vince Neil's tears at the thought of a life without you? Photos by me Videos from www.metacafe.com |
No comments:
Post a Comment