Settling in, squeezing in

It was one thing to haul nine suitcases through the airport. Unpacking them and finding a place for all of the stuff has been another thing entirely. Even before we walked through the door with all of the suitcases, the house was totally at capacity. Stuffed to the gills. Every shelf, every surface, every drawer is absolutely full. The only closet in the house, the one in the master bedroom, is so full that the closet rod literally snapped when I started putting the packed clothes back on it.


So, I’ve spent the last few days trying to get everything put away and organized. I cleaned out as many of the spaces as possible, and took a carfull of stuff to Goodwill. Almost all of the suitcases are unpacked now, and things are about as organized as they can possibly be at this point. As long as nobody gets anything out of a drawer or cabinet and Frankie doesn't haul out any of her toys, it looks pretty good in here. Still, one thing has become absolutely clear:

We need a new house. Immediately.

I’ve been really attached to our Colorado house, and have always felt that it would be hard to let it go. After living in the huge, wonderfully spacious, closet-filled Kirkborough House, it’s been really hard to transition back to living in this teeny tiny house. This house is about a third as big as the Kirkborough House, and Matt and I are both really feeling the difference. He misses his study. I miss the stairs and the second level. I don’t think we’re going to be able to live in our Colorado house for much longer. We need more space, not just for our stuff, but for ourselves. It's getting pretty claustrophobic in here.

So, here’s the plan:

We’re going to get a storage pod, box all of the unnecessary things up and put them in the pod. We’ll get rid of some of the clutter, clear out the garage/bunker, and get the house ready to go on the market. I’m going to talk to a realtor next week, and get the ball rolling. Hopefully, we can sell our house by the spring. Hopefully.

The process of moving *again* is a little overwhelming, but it’s definitely the right thing to do. And I’m actually really excited about finding a new house. I just wish I could snap my fingers and have it all happen instantly, like magic.