New Home

With my short-term lease being up, I set out on Craig’s List and found an inexpensive room to rent about 20 minutes by bike from where I worked. I now live in a small, but really cute home near the northern part of town with a woman, “Cindy,” and her daughter, “Rae.” Cindy is an event coordinator for a historic building, where many weddings are held, and Rae is a high school student and classical violinist. The other two occupants include a dog named Reese, and a cat named ZeeZee.

I personally love this house. Cindy has been living in it since the 1980s, and she loves to decorate it and be a homemaker. In fact, she redid my room a few times before I moved in – matching bed sheets, pillows, furniture, and decor with the painted walls.  I received updates via email on every new change. Then after I settled in, she told me to always ask before I went out and bought something, because they probably had extra on hand. Cindy and Rae aren’t wealthy, but they’ve hosted several visitors in the past (foreign students and friends in transition), and they all tend to leave things behind. This is great for Cindy, Rae, and now me: we have tons of extra toiletries, hangers, and more blankets and pillows than we know what to do with.

Another thing I love about my new house is the tile work. Cindy’s brother tiled the kitchen and bathroom walls, making them into works of art. The kitchen has a landscape of Tucson and the entire bathroom shower has the ocean, with sailboats and seagulls. I mention these features specifically, but the whole house is filled with little works of art, and each has a story.

Finally, I enjoy each neighborhood I’ve lived even more than the last and this one seems to top them all. First, the hostel was in a historic district, and then the apartment was in an eclectic, progressive part of town. This home resides in a middle class area and close to the mountains. I love getting up in the morning and seeing the mountains so close to me now…like they’re literally just down the street. At night, they disappear from view, but the tiny lights from houses light up the foothills. Day or night, it’s picturesque.

I wasn’t sure how I would adapt to a new home with roommates, but so far I love it – Cindy is a cheerful person and Rae is “cool” doing her own thing. The amenities are an upgrade for me, too: I have my own room, refrigerator, and bathroom. I have a full kitchen to use, a washing machine to do laundry, and a front yard to hang my clothes. The neighborhood is pretty quiet and domesticated, with grocery stores and two libraries near by. I also don’t have to park my bike next to my bed anymore out of fear someone will take it if I lock it up outside. There’s no end date for how long I’ll be here and Cindy and Rae have taken me in like a family member. I imagine I’ll stay for a few months…until I’m ready to move on to my next adventure J.

P.S. As soon as I find my camera, I’ll post photos…