The moment I made the decision to make this move, I also made the decision to let it be easy. This was a choice, and one I had to continue to make every single day.
Making this decision requires a lot of number-crunching. Bringing in a contractor to advise you on the cost of your potential remodel and working with a realtor on a potential sale will give you the data you need to decide whether it's time to stay or go.
Although we are not retiring, I now understand what women mean when they say, "I can't get used to him being home all day."
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I had bruises the day after my first massage in L.A., the result of some heretofore unknown (by me, anyway) brand of stabbing, poking bodywork. At least it lasted only 90 minutes -- my first haircut here took two days.
Don't let just anyone pack up your stuff.
When I saw the citizens of Boston finally return to the streets of their great American city, cheering the police and singing the Star Bangled Banner, I had tears in my eyes. Let's all remember, we truly are the land of the free and the home of brave. I hope we don't let fear rule our choices.
"Don't feel you have to do it all in a day. Seeing one cleaned out room is a powerful motivator to break free from the past!"
Most people assume summer is the ideal time to move -- kids are out of school, vacation time away from work is routine and the weather usually cooperates. But the realities are that scheduling a household move in spring actually makes much more sense.
I no longer believe that my happiness is defined by where I live or how much I own. I've learned that letting go of concern over outcomes leaves room for greater joy to enter my life.
House-hunting is fun for about the first week; after that, it's fraught with existential angst. Where will our new pizza joint be? What neighbors will we have, and what will they be like? What sort of days will fill our daily lives?
We're all immigrants in the sunshine state, coming from somewhere else to find a better dream. One that just may come true.
Last summer after my grandma passed away, I had a conversation with my mom about whether or not it's a good idea to return to your childhood home after you've moved out and on with your life. "I know I never could because I knew it wouldn't be the same," she said.
Change is like going on an expedition: It can be a trudge or a hike. Take it all in and enjoy the view, or focus on the faults -- it's absolutely a choice. Here are some lessons I've learned about encountering change, some by resisting it and some by jumping into it with two feet.
No matter what job we get or relationship we embark upon, the practice of doing the same thing every day is a form of monotony we're not easily accustomed to, and the thought of it continuing on forever creates terror in our liberated souls.
I haven't lived alone since 1986, when I had an apartment in York Harbor, Maine, near the beach. I was there for six months until my husband, then boyfriend, whisked me away to his apartment above a garage in Rye, NH on the beach.
We know you have one to share, too.
Last week I met one of the most interesting Internet personalities ever: The Modern Nomad. He takes the art of alternative living to a new level. He has no home. What he owns fits in his backpack. Every few months he packs up and explores a new part of the world.
On my back, I carry a three-bedroom, 2,200 square foot house. It all looks great. It would be great to live here with someone. But that is not going to happen, so I'm trying to get out of here.
I will say: If there is one thing I despise more than graham cracker frozen yogurt being occasionally unavailable at 16 Handles, it's moving residences.
New York is a hard place to say no to. There's an undeniable energy percolating the air, a vibrant heartbeat pulsing the streets. Sure space may be limited and at a premium, but the backyard is the world's greatest playground.
The very best love stories, I think, are of conflict resolved. And all the baby (or big kid) steps it took to get there.
Instead of reflexively wishing someone (or myself) "good luck," I will try instead for the will to be fallible -- the courage to believe that I don't know everything -- that I cannot control everything. In that way, perhaps, I'll find myself in the realm where miracles happen.
Here are just a few insider tips and tricks to ease the pain of moving. Moving doesn't have to be as bad as it seems, and hopefully these tips can help in your current and future moving endeavors.
I generally don't take too many chances. I'm the type of person who makes daily schedules and likes to have her life mapped out in detail, without allowing space for changes.
