We moved this summer. It was complicated because we didn't want to leave, but we had to. Sometimes circumstances are just really crummy and you have to make the best of it.
Luckily, we are very good at making the best of it. Even with the clock ticking, when we hadn't found anything that worked in our favourite neighbourhoods, when we were contemplating rentals... and dreading the implied delay, storage locker, and double-move... With weeks to spare, we took a leap and found ourselves a home in the country.
Our ever cheerful agent had lined up a bunch of visits and we headed off the island to have a look. It was raining and chilly, and our hearts weren't fully into it - even if we could afford it, there would be something seriously wrong with the place. It would be too far from civilization. It wouldn't hold a candle to our current apartment. It would just... not be Montreal. And who wanted to live anywhere that wasn't Montreal? Not me, that's who.
Moving out of the city had only ever been part of a "when we're older" scenario. When we're richer, when life is calmer... when we wear sea captain hats and smoking jackets. You know, when we're OLDER. We never thought we'd head out of Montreal so soon - I mean, I've only lived here for 37 years. Come on. But we took a look at how we live our lives and it made more and more sense. I work from home, and Christian works all over the place. Contrary to the first ten years of our relationship, we now had a car. I may not have my license (yet), but we would have enough room to stock up for months, and to take on house projects we've always wanted to try. The pets would love it. Right? Think of the pets!
In the end, none of it mattered when we pulled up to our first visit of the day, in Hudson. After driving down a rather suburban-looking road, we turned into a barely-visible gravel driveway and pulled up to a house on a little hillside that was surrounded by big trees and hidden from the road.
"I'm in love," I said. We checked out the inside. Dark, tired, a little on the damp side... right. But oh, so much potential! And so different from our last place! Not a plaster medallion or crown molding in sight. Rough wood beams across every ceiling, terra cotta tiles on the floor - the challenge was exciting, and the main deal-breakers were nowhere to be found: there was a new roof and a healthy foundation. Other than a resident raccoon family and a tired, dated old space, no urgent issues. It was just a question of patience and some serious saving.
Needless to say, we went home that night feeling hopeful. We weren't over the moon, because we still had to say goodbye to this place. We would have to start from scratch, and anybody who's gone through a reno or three knows what that implies. Our much-celebrated bathroom had even made it onto the pages of Design Sponge. It was a bittersweet time, but now that we look back on it, we are so relieved that we held on and pushed through.
Fast-forward a few months, and here we are. Country life has been a relatively easy adjustment - it's not like moving to another city, where all I would do is compare it to Montreal. We've been enjoying the green, and the space, and the peace. Panda shows her appreciation by dragging half the forest in with her every time she walks in the door.
Now with fall upon us, it's even more beautiful. Granted, it's harder to whip up dinner without a little planning, and we miss our old haunts, but it's nothing a little effort won't solve. Our place still has that just-moved-in look, but ideas are simmering and we're busy dreaming. The kitchen and bathroom will have to wait until we've saved up some money (so - years from now), but in the meantime we have lots of painting to do, furniture to rearrange and artwork to put up. Wish us luck :)