Four years

Four years ago this weekend I moved to my current apartment. It hardly seems possible that it's been that long, but the calendar doesn't lie. It's safe to say that this was a move for the best. Although I wish that my neighbors for the last ten months would turn down their stereo system some more, I'm otherwise pretty happy here. (One of the two people living next door has changed since late summer and the fall, which I think has kept the noise a little more in check, but I'd prefer to go back to how things were with the previous tenant, ie., not hearing any thumping bass or noise. Still, they're better than they were.)

Since I have to work the equivalent of two days tomorrow, I stayed close to home today. I saw two movies, dropped off recycling, popped into a couple chain crafts shops to look at yarn, browsed at a bookstore, and got all three meals. I was able to do it all within two or three miles from where I live. I renewed my appreciation for where I'm staked out. I have a lot at my disposal without having to venture far from home. Sure, the traffic can sometimes be on the heavy side, but I can get around relatively easily and have learned some alternative routes to circumvent the biggest backups.

Who knows how long I'll stay here, although I have no imminent plans for going elsewhere. Yes, it would be nice to have a place to my own, where I have no common walls with neighbors, but that's not in the cards for now and would be a big luxury. Really, this place suits my needs very well. When the time comes that I leave it, I hope the departure will be on my terms. This may be just a rental, but having inhabited it for this long, it feels like it's mine.