I paid half their heating bills for a year because they wouldn't listen when I told them we didn't use heat, just the fireplace. It was a major reason we decided to move out.
I had to shake out my towels before I used them because I had, more than once, encountered a hobo spider in my towel as I pulled it off the hook.
I couldn't open my refrigerator door all the way. The short counter ended approximately 1 foot in front of the fridge. And the fridge was jammed into the corner of the kitchen, right next to the stove. Needless to say, whoever designed the kitchen--they were a frickin' genius!
The stove had one (of four) usable burners. It was the large one, the only one that was flat in the front. I tried to use the other burners a time or two, but stuff spilled out of them too easily.
The cupboards in the kitchen were set too low above the counter. We couldn't store anything on the counter that was more than a foot tall--no wine bottles fit. Major bummer!
I no longer have to worry about earwigs in my toothbrush. Yes, that happened. Of course, at 6 AM, when I brush my teeth, I'm not exactly awake. Needless to say, the earwig wasn't discovered until after I opened my eyes--and finished brushing. blech!
We have a couch! A real, full-sized sofa! At the apartment, we couldn't fit a couch in the living room, so we had a loveseat.
We have a dining area! The kitchen was so small in the apartment we had no room.
There's places for people to sit now--on the couch, at the table, or even on one of the bar stools. Holy cow, we can have people over! Crazy.
I have a real guest room. It has a real bed and TV just waiting to be used. A year ago we had a "spare room" with a full-size bed and all of my bookshelves.
Speaking of bookshelves....I have a real library! A beautiful, hand-built (by the Mister--what a guy) bookcase. All my books fit, plus there's room for more. If you're a reader like I am, you will understand my joy.
A year ago I parked in a driveway. One we usually had to fight over with the neighbors (they now park both of their vehicles in the driveway). Now, Nigel has his very own garage. And it's big enough I could probably park him sideways. Not that I would. Unless I was really bored. And wanted a funny picture. I'm like that.
Leaves had to be raked. Now, we have no grown trees. I miss it at the same time as I treasure it.
The Mister likes to come home. A year ago, he hated where we lived. Now he's happy to come home and unwind.
In the past year, our new home has withstood nasty hail, became a place for Mom to heal from her surgery, witnessed grief when we said goodbye to Gunner, and is now a place of refuge after a long day at work. As an introvert who greatly values quiet time at home, I truly love having a home of my own.
One year ago, I had no idea how much a house could mean to us. Now I wonder how we managed to not have our own home for so long.
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