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04 April 2013

Fun Size Living



Last year, Andy and I had our eyes on a brand new house.  We did the Sunday afternoon drive-by a dozen times and dreamt about coffee on the porch, kids playing in the backyard, walk-in closets (more my dream than his), and all the extra square footage we don't have in the condo.  Sure, we would have to borrow some funds, be strapped to our jobs, and stress each month to make ends meet, but we wanted the dream!  We were living in a 780 square foot, one-bedroom condo in the heart of Buckhead…a beautiful space, but definitely NOT the scene to start our family.  Since we all agree on this matter, I will tell you that we tried our best to make the dream happen.  BUT, the obstacles grew with each step in dreamland.  Our current “bungalow” appraised for FAR less than we owed; our down payment could fit into a small child’s piggy bank, and we were #126 on a waiting list to lease.  The odds had mounted.  It was at this point, accepting defeat, that we decided to put off having a baby and just wait for our lives to start.  Well, we can skip all the will-bending and heart-molding that went on and cut to the chase, make a long story short... I am writing this from our 780 square foot space and patiently awaiting the birth of our first, due in the next TWO weeks.  Suffice it to say, we had a change of perspective.  Where in the world did we get the idea that we needed more space to have more joy?  Hadn’t we already shared two AMAZING years of small-ish space living?  Aren’t there people all around the world who live in much smaller spaces with out a single complaint?  We had decided to just live, be content with what we have, and seek immeasurable joy in our measurable space. Okay, we're ready for you, third roommate.





3 comments:

  1. My husband and I moved from our tiny 1960s college home to a brand new, large, cookie-cutter home in the suburbs with good schools but it had a tiny yard. We wanted a horse ranch, a place for the kids to get lost outside, so we got one. The commute, and maintenance, killed us. An apartment with all the fancy ammenaties on the way to work would be much better...we thought. But there was no bonus room upstairs equalling half the size of the entire house, so after settling the ranch, we found a home with a room and bathroom for each member of the family (all five of us) and it had, you guessed it, a bonus room upstairs half the size of the house. We never occupied more than a tenth of the space at any one time. It was ridiculous. We reflected on, of all of them, which home we loved the most and it came back to our small spaces. We longed for simple, manageable. We gave it all up for a simpler life. We now live in China in a maintenance free, perfectly sized condo with green space and playground nestled in the tropical mountains. Our commute is a ten-minute walk and we have community that reminds me of, but exceeds, that that I had in Midtown Atlanta. You've done great things with your little piece of heaven for your little bundle of joy. Enjoy living simply and you'll simply love it. --besos

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  2. I'm new to your blog~ I love it! You have a new follower!!

    Kelly Ann
    http://kellyannstudio.blogspot.com/

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    1. Hi Kelly Ann! I'm loving your artsy space too! You are so creative and fun! I will be stopping by again!

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