Roots and Growth ~ and Changing

Many, many years ago, the SGM and I bought our first house. We'd been looking to rent an apartment and I piped up "Why don't we try to buy a house, instead." Oh, foolish, foolish woman. Over the next five years, we would buy three houses in three different towns. When we finally divorced, I pledged that I would never buy a house again, ever. Live in a long-term rental, sure. In fact, probably. But buy another house? Oh hell no.

Skip forward to last night, seven apartments, and far too many temporary stops to count, later. Lithus and I were hanging out on the couch and I was hit by an overwhelming desire to own a home with this man. Not a condo. Not a townhouse. A single family, detached house in a neighborhood (albeit, not in suburbia ~ things aren't that drastic). I was so shocked by this desire that I even told him about it. By the time I was done telling him about it, mind, it was already sounding less desirable. Yard work. Maintenance. Water bills. Not so much. Still, a condo or a townhouse...

What I realized is that this isn't a desire to own a house. That's still not all that interesting to me. What I do want is to build something with Lithus. Put down some roots ~ even if we spend as much time away as we do there. Create a life and memories and traditions. Be in one place long enough for people to actually come visit us, not just talk about it. Host a couple parties. Maybe even a holiday or two. Not always have one foot out the door.

I'm making no grand pronouncements here. We haven't bought a house and we aren't even looking.  And wherever this takes us, I guarantee you that our definition of "settling down" is going to be different from anyone else's, ever. Still, it's our definition and that's enough.

Those are Pobble Thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.