This weekend we started looking at a places to rent. Because of the area we live in, we can only afford an apartment, condominium, or townhouse. There are a ton of options around us. We looked on line and our realtor sent us some listings too. We live in a nice area but everything tends to look the same.

As we looked around Ladera Ranch, our current neighborhood, I started to feel icky, like being here would be a bad idea. Do I really want to drive passed my old house all the time while I’m living in a two bedroom townhouse that kind of looks like a tiny version of my old house? No, I really don’t. It’s hard enough to leave our home without having to hang around and see it from a distance. That’s just sad.

Yesterday we went and looked at a totally different neighborhood in a totally different city. We walked into this little house that smelled of wet weather. Do you know that smell? It smells like a beach house. I lived in a beach house once and I was flooded with memories as soon as I walked in. Then, I noticed all the peach walls, and old stove, and weird pantry. There was a 1970’s railing that separated the dining room from the living room. We had to step down into the living room. There were some crazy stained glass windows and as I looked out them I SAW THE OCEAN. We could see the ocean from three of the rooms. It made no sense at all, but I LOVED this little duplex bungalow that overlooked the Pacific Ocean. I was flooded with ideas of how to fix it up. It would be so cozy and fabulous. It would be a snuggle, love shack; it would have no choice. This place was the most terrible, best place I’ve ever seen. It drew me in and Emma came right along with me! Steve is still a little curious.

So what do you think? Would you live in a nice gated community with perfect white walls? You can have your assigned parking spots and community mail boxes. You’d get a nice view of the other townhouses and their garages, or would you move into a 1,000 sq.ft. love shack that has a worn wooden deck you can sit on that overlooks the ocean?

What to do, what to do…