Happy one-year anniversary to me!
At exactly this time last year, in the midst of a divorce, I moved out of our family home and into the condo that I bought for myself. I was reluctantly ready to return to solo adulting after 22 years of partnership and marital strife. It was a time of new beginnings.
And you know what? Although last year rocked my world to its very foundation, the changes forced me to build a whole new life from scratch and I excelled at that.
I took those bitter lemons and made the sweetest, sparkling lemonade which I now enjoy out of a champagne glass and with sunrise views.
Although I have written before about the one thing I wish Z and I could change about our condo – the stompy, mean and nasty neighbors above us – I am dedicating today’s post to the things I love most about our beautiful home. Even those b-words upstairs can’t dull the shine of this amazing place.
Here are my 10 favorite things about my condo!
- Sunrise views – these cannot be beat! I don’t go to my beloved dam much anymore, because I can step outside and see this majesty every single morning. Who needs to travel when I have these vacation views right here at home?
- Walking the dogs – while having a fenced-in yard at our old house had its benefits, I love walking the dogs morning and night. The natural beauty of our condo community makes it a pleasure; they even installed new waste station amenities this year for us dog parents.
- Our pool – I do not miss the Orange Township pool one bit because our private pool here is cleaner, never crowded and has gorgeous views. Zero complaints about this beauty!
- The gym – I did not start taking advantage of our wonderful little community gym until Andrew suggested it this spring, but we’re loving it now and I am so happy we have this healthy haven so close to home.
- Location, location, location – I love Lewis Center and I especially love this green, beautiful corner we call home. We live off one of the prettiest roads ever and it’s a pleasure to drive it every day.
- Nature friends – the deer above are just a few of the wild wonders we get to experience regularly. I’m also in love with a local family of 6-7 wild turkeys I call my gobblers. They are just so cute!
- Love thy neighbors – I still don’t know all of my neighbors, but I smile and wave at all of them and once in a while we’ll stop and chat. I need to do this more!
- Girlie wonderland – I’ve never enjoyed decorating a space more than this condo. Z and I have unleashed our maximalist vision and this place is a sparkling, colorful girls’ world.
- Small yet spacious – Big enough to feel comfortable yet small enough to keep clutter down, I absolutely love the size and layout of this place. It’s a cozy Hobbit cave in the winter and comfortable year-round.
- The pack is back together – There’s perhaps nothing I love more about this place than the fact that all three of our fur babies – Dani, Galaxy and Lambo – share it with us. Having Galaxy join us this spring truly made it feel like home. Is it really a home if it doesn’t have at least one cat and dog zooming around?
This condo was such a soft place to land and even though life looks different yet again this year, I still feel a great deal of pride in being “out here on my own” and making the most wonderful new life for myself in my mid-50s. It wasn’t something I expected or planned for, but we have more than made the best of this midlife shift.
If you’re considering a condo and want to chat about the pros and cons, give me a shout over on Instagram or Facebook – or leave a comment below!
