Moving Transitions

The relief of handing over the keys to the old apartment, knowing it was empty and perfectly clean, was like slipping into a hot bubble bath. Too bad it was only a similar experience. Reality: There's another apartment waiting with boxes and suitcases galore.

I'm really happy though. We're actually weeding through stuff one last time as we unpack. Could it be? Is it possible that we will finally be free of the unnecessary crap we've been lugging around? It's like super labor-intensive therapy, I tell you.

We aim to be unpacked by Sunday. It would be nice if we could just finish during the week. But, you know, even if we didn't work, we need to pace ourselves. It was starting to get grumpy at the end there. Nothing worse than irritated and tired people around a ton of very throw-able things.

Best part of the new place: The Library.

That's right, my office is completely surrounded by books. It's like entering a temple. I love it!

My brother designed and built 8-foot tall adjustable shelves for his house. When I saw how many bound bundles of joy fit on them, it took my breath away. First chance I got, we bought them, and--good brother that he is--he even installed them for me. Woo-hoo!

Anyway, they disassemble completely and fit in the back of my VW Golf. Well, sort of. The long pieces poke out. The point is, I'm free of bulky bookshelves, and I can completely cover my walls with books.

Did I mention how much I love books?

My husband is happy about the shelves as well, but for different reasons. There's a segment of them that replaced the old bulky entertainment system, so all of our movies are in one place and the TV is mounted in the perfect spot.

Oh, and he loves that all my books are contained. Can you believe the nerve? That's OK, I forgive him for not understanding my obsession. As long as he never attempts to actually get rid of my books, he's safe.

Best Feature of the new place: The Wet Bar

I know it makes me sound like a total lush. But it's more of a space issue really. You see when we got married, several people gave us wine glasses, champagne flutes, highball glasses, shot glasses, margarita glasses, martini glasses... you get the point.

We are very social creatures. I guess in the minds of many, that means we need enough glassware to open our own bar. Or is it a hint? I don't know, but now that there is one place for all of it, it'll surely get used more. I guess that means we have to have a party eventually. How else am I going to manage to use the 40 wine glass rings?

Most convenient feature: Faux Wood Floors

They're just easier to clean. Carpet is a pain. Now we don't have to worry about tipped over glasses or dirty patches by the balcony door. And we can picnic in the living room without a problem.

Besides the spills, though, there isn't a vacuum on earth with enough suction power to really get rid of all the yuck. And frankly, my salabhasana is better when it doesn't involve breathing dust. Yay, clean faux wood floors.

Oh, and no, that's not me in the picture, nor can I manage to go up that high... just yet.

Well, that's the summary. This is going to be great. I'm taking the two writing gigs I landed today as a good omen. Why? Because I can.

Pics by Diva Bex, Xipe Totec39, and shankargallery