One year ago today, I walked into my current home as an owner. My husband and I had traveled a day and three-quarters from New Jersey, packed into a rental van with everything that the movers wouldn’t carry. While I’d technically become a “homeowner” about five days earlier, this is the day I actually moved in.
It was a glorious day. Suddenly, I owned palm trees! (By the end of the week, when our furniture arrived, it was nearly equally as glorious. We were so tired of sitting on hard tile floors! Who’d have thought a chair could look so precious?)
Mostly, it’s been a good year. In our personal lives some terrible things have happened, but through it all, we’ve enjoyed living here. I’ve discovered how much there is to learn about northern Florida gardening, and plants. I’ve discovered new kinds of snakes and mushrooms, and the perils of wasps and ants and armadillos. I walked around in “winter” wearing long pants and short sleeves, and been warm enough. We adopted a wonderful, joyful dog, and guested friends and family from the north, while meeting new neighbors and making new friends who live nearby.
Thanks, Gainesville! We’re looking forward to another year.
Everyday Magic | M. E. Garber 