Over the past 12 years, I’ve lived in a lot of places. While I was married, we averaged a move a year. Before the kids and I moved here for me to attend grad school, we lived in the same place for 5 years, the longest I’ve lived anywhere in Utah. I seem to have inherited my dad’s itch to move to new places and see new things, although now that I’m single, moving is a lot more stressful. In light of spending the better part of this week packing in order to move everything into storage while I’m in DC for a summer internship, today’s post is about my dream house.
One of these days, I’m going to own my own house… one of the American dreams. Although it’s one that has always been too far out of reach. When I was married, I used to look at home plan magazines for ideas for the perfect floor plan. My parents used to take us to the parade of homes, and although I haven’t been to any here in Utah, I have fond memories of perusing those fancy shmancy places I figured I’d never ever be able to afford. From my dating experiences after my divorce, I’ve been able to look at things from a prospective husband’s point of view… and how housing a new family can put a strain on one’s brain. And I’ve also learned a few things about what I personally like and don’t like in a house.
When I was younger, I dreamed of a Cape Cod or Southern Colonial style home, two stories with huge bedrooms and plenty of bathrooms. I sometimes thought of decorating each room with a different theme… Hispanic for one, Japanese for another, new age for another, one in all earthy colors, one red room (my favorite color), one in light blues and greens. Or maybe have each room be a different season. I’ve always wanted a wrap-around porch so you can sit in a rocking chair or porch swing enjoying the sunrise or sunset. I dreamt of having a huge yard where the kids and all their friends could run around and play outside all day. And I pictured myself joining them as often as I could. I wanted big trees for the kids to climb, and maybe build a tree house with their dad. I dreamt of a home with huge windows to let in the light, and neighbors far enough away for some privacy, but close enough for frequent visits and easy accessibility for the kids to play. And after living in so many rentals, I can’t wait to have a place with no blinds! I’d love to have beautiful drapes and curtains on all the windows.
I picture a master bedroom with a master bathroom overlooking a beautiful nature scene, where I could relax in a garden Jacuzzi tub finding peace and solace from a busy day. The colors would be in calming earthy tones. I imagined a small room adjacent to our bedroom filled with books, a comfy chair, big window, and a good sound system. A place where I could escape to no matter what mood I was in, a place that is just mine, to just be me and be alone with my thoughts. On the other side of our bedroom is a nursery for any wee ones that might come along.
Upstairs would be the kids’ bedrooms and a couple of bathrooms. There’d also be a play room where they could learn to share and get along with each other. Each room would be decorated however the child likes. In the basement would be a cold storage room for food storage. There would also be an exercise room. And on the main floor, a library and a music room. The kitchen wouldn’t be too big, but big enough so the whole family could pitch in with cooking meals together. I’ve always hoped my future knight would enjoy cooking more than me. I don’t mind it, but it’s not my favorite thing to do. There would be a little breakfast nook facing east, so I could enjoy chirping birds and beautiful sunrises. The dining room would face, you guessed it, to the west so our family could enjoy sunsets while sharing dinner together. The garage would be big enough to house our motorcycles, and have room for a workshop for my future knight to tinker around. And, there would be an apartment above the garage not just to rent out to our kids once they got old enough, hee hee, but also to house anyone in need, a visiting family member, or whatever.
Now, this house would obviously probably be very expensive. Especially after I add in the latest and greatest technology for being self-sustaining, like solar panels and recycling water. I’d have a compost pile and a garden and fruit trees. While a lot of the things I described are dreams of mine, I’ve also learned that less is most often more. I’ve learned I don’t need a big huge house to be happy. My kids and I currently live in tiny 2 bedroom 1 bath apartment, and while it would be nice for each of them to have their own room, and have my own bathroom, and a little space to call my own, we’re happy here. Even when I can hear the neighbors upstairs or next door rocking and rolling in the bedroom, our apartment is nice and cozy. It keeps us warm and safe from the elements, and I can clean the whole thing in a couple of hours.
So the bottom line is, future knight, no matter where I live, I can be happy. I don’t care how much money you make, as long as our needs are met. I don’t care how big our house is, as long as we can call it home and feel safe and at peace. As long as I don’t have to do all the cleaning, I’ll be content where ever we wind up. Because as long as you love me forever, I’ll be the happiest little thing you’ve ever seen.
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