wide open spaces

This is our neighborhood.

It might be an understatement that urban New England is the opposite of wide-open spaces.  Our place is small tiny miniature.  Our neighborhood is a literal compilation of row houses piled on top of one another.  To save a little money, my husband and I recently moved into a tiny one bedroom apartment, and by apartment, I mean attic.  Our 1' deep closet is in the living room.  There is 2' of space between our bed and our dressers in our bedroom, when the drawers are closed.  An additional armoire was added out by the front door, welcoming guests (classy).  We downsized our kitchen table from a rectangle seating 6-8 to a circle seating 4 at most, so it would fit in our new tiny kitchen.  And, the bookshelves that used to house books now reside in the kitchen for additional food storage along the inwardly slanting attic wall.  

Even though we just moved here from a larger apartment (that had major landlord issues and no laundry) and we both love the homey, cottage-like, cozy feel of the place, (with free laundry in the basement and a dishwasher, and minutes from public transportation!) it still is hard to think about how much it costs to live here, and how much space you don't have.  Particularly after Elder Anderson's talk about having children.  Considering that, there is literally not even a spare corner to put a crib in, much less a closet or a bedroom, which means, that if we do get pregnant in the next two years, we will have to move again!  

There is, undoubtedly, a certain charm to city living.  I can't lie about that, but it comes with a pricetag.  It's exciting to be right in the middle where all the business, education, music, theatre, dance, and restaurant action is buzzing.  It gives you the impression that, by association, you are also a big deal.  But this girl grew up on 2.5 acres in the country, and as of late, I cannot stop thinking fantasizing about getting back to wide open spaces, home improvement projects, cooking/decorating for the holidays, raising my future children, and being closer to family.  I religiously (daily, multiple times) visit this blog written by fellow young-married people who write about their low-budget adventures of home ownership and child-rearing.  I might even be a little jealous of them.  Not to mention my propensity to kill endless hours pinning images I will probably never afford or make from pinterest.  A girl can dream, right?

During my optimistic moments, I browse Craigslist housing prices in North Carolina (where Brigham served his mission) and have discovered that in some areas, we could live in a 3 bedroom home for about $500/month.  Space on the cheap! (cue James Taylor singing "In my mind I'm going to Carolina") It feels like a good idea, until I remember that I grew up in SAN DIEGO, and really, how do you justify moving to NC after knowing the greatness of life in San Diego?  The beaches, the perfect weather, the relaxed laid-back culture, need I say more?  However, on the other hand, moving back to CA would merely put us in the same bind that we are in now; namely, we would be overpaying for a small apartment or crashing with family with the added bonus of finding work in a bad economy, to say nothing of student loans.  

Hmmm...decisions...decisions...

I'd take even a little yard, or a deck for at least a bbq.  Some form of property that I own and can make projects out of.  But for now, the beautiful public parks will have to ensue my desire for outdoor activity, and regarding home ownership, I'll just focus on the fact that we don't have to deal with property taxes and maintenance...that's one perk, right?  I'm reaching here.

Being hitched to a musician/teacher leaves a lot of room for interpretation in predicting the future.  I read recently that once you are past the point of survival, the only difference between poverty and prosperity is in your level of gratitude.  I guess in those terms, we are incredibly prosperous!  My Grandma Jones told me that her happiest times as a married couple were when they were the poorest.  I think that one day I might agree with her. I am so blessed with the great husband who makes me laugh everyday, a great apartment that I have decorated just right, and with the amazing opportunity to live here in Boston (who knew that I'd ever be living HERE!)  Living here has changed our lives indefinably- in fact, we don't know married life outside of Boston.  We are surrounded by wonderful friends and associates of all walks of life, who help us, inspire us, and make life enjoyable.  And, we do love our apartment, as tiny as it is, it does feel like home.

That is, after all, what matters most.

The wide open spaces will come, and when it does, we'll appreciate it all the more.