Closing, Closets and Close Calls

Today was the big day - settlement, closing, whatever you want to call it. I don't like that it has the word 'settle' in it but I'm not a fan of 'closing' b/c it seems like you're closing the door on something when, to me, it feels like an opening, a beginning and the start of something new. So while I thought I was fully prepared for today, I think my emotions got the best of me a time or two.

After signing my name what felt like a million times and trying to kill some time running errands for an hour before I could get the keys, I had a slight fender bender. I was making a Texas U-turn (the turn-arounds that I have only ever seen in Texas) when I literally rolled into the car in front of me. Luckily, there was no damage for either of us but it did shock me a bit (and give me a bit of a sore neck). I had to laugh that this happened right after such a big moment for me but mostly I think it jolted some emotions to the surface. After talking with the very nice women I rear-butted, I sat in my car and cried a bit. Cried for my past, my perceived independence of being a renter, the overwhelming feeling of being an owner and just the pure exhaustion of the past few months; to be honest, the past year.

But I quickly recovered and have moved forward. After a great pilates class with Jess we picked up some Thai food and her husband and my friend, Ken, and headed over to my new house. We sat on the floor and ate, toasted with some bubbly and beer and then built some closets. The closet space in this house is pretty minimal. In fact they were pretty much just nooks. This weekend I went to the Container Store and designed them and purchased the materials and then bartered with Ken to help build them in exchange for food. Lucky for me, he's handy, he cares about me and he likes Thai food!

Despite a bump on the head, a cut on my hand, some spilled champagne (a couple of times) and a lopsided wall, we did it! My first of many home modifications in my future I'm sure.

So these pictures reflect the before and after. Since the two closets are still smaller combined than the current one I have, I'll have to make good use of my space. But it's mine and I can change it, alter it and do whatever I want to it!

Past, Present and Future

Today, thanks to Jess, I made some major headway toward finishing my packing. Moving is always both physically and emotionally exhausting - even Buster agrees. So I was so thankful to have her help.

Although I close tomorrow, I'm not moving into my new house until Saturday. Having this one week of crossover time to live in two places is perfect. It gives me time to take over items on my own, have things delivered and installed and not feel rushed to do it all in one day.

While packing today, though, I was amazed, once again, at how much stuff I have. Largely, I was shocked by the amount of photos, photo albums and pictures I have. Mind you, they're all from prior to 2004 before I owned a digital camera. Remember the days when you had to mail your film in and wait for it to be processed and mailed back? It felt like forever! Tiny Mellie had no idea that in her future she would have instant access to all of her pictures but rarely print them. In the meantime, I have all of these pictures from college and high school. Some of which I never want to look at again or risk others getting ahold of in this digital age of Facebook. But somehow I can't let go of them; of my past.

So even though it's only been 1.5 years since my last move, I will part with little pieces of my past. It only seems natural that every time you move, you let something go. I won't mention specific items so that I don't inadvertendly offend anyone but suffice it to say that it feels good to think about my future and what items I'll continue to hold onto and choose to part with as I grow into my new roots!

Also, speaking of past, present and future, I realize that not all of you may be familiar with 'Mellie'. Upon moving to Austin I met my dear friend, Jess. She quickly coined my nickname Mellie and it's stuck and spread. But mostly in Austin. So to those of you who know me as Melissa, Mel, Meliss, Mellie Alana, Mole, Sil, Little Sil, Silly-o and anything else that may have been coined, I wanted to get you up to speed. I still welcome any nicknames, though, from the past, present or future.

Walk Through - check

Today, I met my agent for my final walk through of the house before closing on Monday. My friend, Kelsey, (who will also be a close neighbor) joined me for both moral support and closet measuring.

I'll admit it - I felt a little overwhelmed for maybe the first time.

This has all happened pretty fast. Most of you know that once I set my mind to something I usually accomplish it. This was no exception. I started toying around with the idea of home ownership the first week of October. Yes, just 7 short weeks ago. And here I am, closing on a home in two days.

While I'm a practical, responsible person, I also tend to follow my instincts and gut. It's not that they don't lead me astray occasionally but I still follow them.....

When I first walked into this home with my agent last month, I just knew. It felt right from the minute we crossed the threshold. It has the charm of an old cottage bungalow but since it's been recently updated (note: 98% redone) I feel good knowing that I have new plumbing, new appliances and pretty much new everything.

But that doesn't mean it's not overwhelming.

It's a powerful feeling to know that you've accomplished something on your own (well, mostly, I can't ignore the fact that I've gotten help from my parents, brother and friends all along). But it's also scary to realize that you're now responsible for this - for better or worse.

As someone who's never been married or had children, I imagine this feeling is similar to those moments of commitments. I applaud those who have made these big commitments. For now, I'm just trying to stay focused on making lists, packing and containing my fears.

Blame it on the alcohol

After a couple of good cocktails with some good friends, I've been convinced to write a blog. I've often thought of blogs as self-serving (sorry, friends) and as an exposed diary. But now that I'm at a turning point in my life, about to purchase my first home, I can see the appeal in wanting to document and share my experience with my loved ones. I'm both lucky and grateful to have the support and love of so many people across the world.

People who want to know what I'm doing, how I'm doing and where I'm doing it. Rather than innundating inboxes with email updates, I invite you to Welcome Home, Mellie!

Monday, November 30th 2009 marks my first home purchase and closing date. The following days are lined up with deliveries, packing, moving and installations. To get everyone started, a sneak peak of my new pad follows and then we'll take it from there.