I'm going to be a bike commuter again!!

[GLC1968]

I'm so excited. My husband and I made an offer on a new home yesterday that was accepted. It's 5 miles from work with LOTS of options for routes that are very bike-friendly!

It's been so long since I felt that bike commuting was a valuable use of my time and I cannot wait! Currently I am 20 miles from work, so while I could do it, it takes so long (3 hours each day), that I just can't justify it on a regular basis.

[Blueberry]

Congratulations, GLC!!! Are you guys going to move quickly and then sell the old place? That makes life so much easier

[oxysback]

Yay! Congrats!

[GLC1968]

That's the plan. We hope to close in early October and then start moving the essentials (including the dogs!) so that we can properly stage the farm to sell. It's just too messy to try and show a farmhouse with three big dogs and a cat tracking in dirt and other stuff all the time. Plus, we've got a LOT of junk that we need to sort through and that'll take time (and a yard sale!)

The hardest part will be going from a room-sized closet (no joke!) to a single bar closet. Ouch!

This house is more than a 1000 sf smaller than the 'starter' home we bought when we got married. It's going to take a lot of downsizing!

[Blueberry]

This house is more than a 1000 sf smaller than the 'starter' home we bought when we got married. It's going to take a lot of downsizing!

How many square feet is it? We're in about 1200 right now, down from a high of 1800 in one place and 1750 in another. Clothes are still tight, and we still have a storage unit - but things are progressing nicely (and I've been having a virtual yard sale on ebay).

[GLC1968]

The new one is 1400. Our current one is 1750, but that doesn't include a HUGE basement and tons/tons/tons of storage, so making the switch is going to be tough. I can't believe how much we've manage to accumulate in only 4 years!!

Houses in FL and NC were both bigger and full of wasted space. As long as we have a big garage, we can make anything else work!

[jobob]

Congratulations!!

Will your yard be large enough to put in a small storage shed?

[Tri Girl]

That's fantastic! Congrats on the new home. SO exciting that you'll get to commute again- I'm sure you will fall in love with it all over again. Yay for new adventures in life!!

[GLC1968]

Congratulations!!

Will your yard be large enough to put in a small storage shed?

Ha, no! Not even a little bit. In fact, here is a photo of our entire 'yard':


(I was actually thrilled to have this much so that I can at least grow some herbs and have a spot for our grill)

The house has a 2 car garage with a wall big enough to house the kayaks (yes, we measured before we made an offer!) and another wall to house bikes. We are also going down to one small car (our MINI), so we'll have half that garage space for storage (around the treadmill and the motorcycle, of course).

I'm just trying to think of this whole move as a fun organizational challenge!

[GLC1968]

Is it wrong that I can't stop thinking about the logistics of bike commuting again? And I kind of want a new bike for it, too.

I need my head examined. We don't even move for like 6 weeks yet!

[Biciclista]

but where do 3 large dogs go?? sounds tight. congrats on the commute though.

[GLC1968]

but where do 3 large dogs go??

On lots of walks with us! And the puppy will be learning to run with me as I re-learn to run, so she'll get plenty of exercise.

(one dog has bad hips, so his days of running around a farm were coming to an end anyway ).

[Tri Girl]

Is it wrong that I can't stop thinking about the logistics of bike commuting again? And I kind of want a new bike for it, too.

If that's wrong- I don't want to be right.

And um... you simply NEED a new commuter bike. I mean, one that's up to the specific challenge of commuting. I simply don't see any way around it.

[tulip]

Congratulations. I enjoyed following your farm blog, but being closer to things has benefits, not the least of which is being able to ride your bike to work and for errands. You can grow lots of food in a community garden plot. Not sure what you'll do about goats, though

[GLC1968]

LOL, Trigirl, I knew I liked you!

Tulip - I've already signed up for a plot at my company's community garden for 2013! And we were working on housing our bees there as well but the legal issues are a bit tiring. We may house them at a friend's place instead. I'm also going to sign up for a veggie CSA as well.

The chickens have already gone on to a new home. The ducks will be next. The hardest will be the goats, for sure. I still have no leads on a home for them yet and I guarantee that I'll cry when they go.