it ain't easy.
When we lived in the house where everything was stolen (twice), we lived with an air of fear around us at all times. Every time I unlocked the front door, I held my breath until I could mentally account for all of our prize possessions. I knew that if I could see the television set when I opened the door we probably hadn't been burglarized (again), but there were always a few seconds when I would listen for movement before I entered the house.
In our old neighborhood, we never took Siggy for walks. Well, we did when we first got him, but we stopped after I was attacked by a loose pit bull that tried to make himself a light snack of the Sigster. There were no sidewalks, anyway.
We learned how to sneak anything of value into the house so that our neighbors wouldn't see. We stopped spending time in the front of our house because we got tired of listening to all of the fighting. Our two-bedroom house became an efficiency apartment, but it didn't matter because we spent as little time in it as possible.
People ask us what we like most about our new house, and I jokingly say that I like not having my stuff stolen. It's easier that explaining that I like being able to actually live in my home. It's really a home and not just a house.
The truth is that the list of what I like about our new home is pretty long, and has very little to do with square footage and amenities. I like to look out the window in my art space and see children riding their bikes in the street. I like that it feels like home. I like that my plants can grow because we don't have to keep all of our curtains closed. I like that I can see the stars at night and I can hear the coyotes howl. I like that it is our home, and we are building it together. I like that we can walk Siggy to a variety of parks. I like that the parks are clean, and people in the community want to keep them that way. I like that my neighbors smile.
Sure, living in the suburbs has some quirks, but (for the most part) I like them. Very honestly, I prefer living in the desert to the city, even if the commute is a little longer. I like the peace.
However, I'm pretty sure that if our house is ever broken into I'll have to move.
In our old neighborhood, we never took Siggy for walks. Well, we did when we first got him, but we stopped after I was attacked by a loose pit bull that tried to make himself a light snack of the Sigster. There were no sidewalks, anyway.
We learned how to sneak anything of value into the house so that our neighbors wouldn't see. We stopped spending time in the front of our house because we got tired of listening to all of the fighting. Our two-bedroom house became an efficiency apartment, but it didn't matter because we spent as little time in it as possible.
People ask us what we like most about our new house, and I jokingly say that I like not having my stuff stolen. It's easier that explaining that I like being able to actually live in my home. It's really a home and not just a house.
The truth is that the list of what I like about our new home is pretty long, and has very little to do with square footage and amenities. I like to look out the window in my art space and see children riding their bikes in the street. I like that it feels like home. I like that my plants can grow because we don't have to keep all of our curtains closed. I like that I can see the stars at night and I can hear the coyotes howl. I like that it is our home, and we are building it together. I like that we can walk Siggy to a variety of parks. I like that the parks are clean, and people in the community want to keep them that way. I like that my neighbors smile.
Sure, living in the suburbs has some quirks, but (for the most part) I like them. Very honestly, I prefer living in the desert to the city, even if the commute is a little longer. I like the peace.
However, I'm pretty sure that if our house is ever broken into I'll have to move.