Buying a House...

...is one of the most stressful things I've ever had to deal with. In a way, it makes me very grateful. I could be dealing with a lot worse.

Recycle, Toss, Sell, Clean

Today has been a tiresome, and minimally gratifying day. I have a lot of crap.

A LOT of crap.

I've been sorting through so much junk in my house- papers, clothing, knick-knacks and doo-dads, and I still have so much more to sort through. I didn't realize how much useless crap I have accumulated. I don't need so much.

So goodbye, old and tired t-shirts. Farewell, broken mirror I never used. Adios, bicycles, wedding dress and countless other items that will hopefully serve better use to someone who will, well, actually use you.

I've still quite a ways to go, but I feel like I've gained some ground. So maybe it wasn't minimally gratifying. I feel good. I feel liberated and relieved. I feel.....

lighter.

Know anyone who wants to buy a wedding dress?

Gut? Are you still here?

The hunt is on. We've been pre-approved for a loan, and for the last week we've been teaming up with our awesome realtor and have looked at about over a dozen homes so far. It's exciting, it's terrifying, it's nerve-wracking, and it is melting my brain. All I am thinking about are houses. We have sort of a deadline of when we'd like to have a house, so even though we still have a good month's worth of time to look, I'm starting to feel like I might be too picky, and that since it is our first home, and no one's first home is perfect, that I should be a little more open. Or should I go with my gut, like people are telling me, and wait for that house that I'll know is "the one". I don't like letting my gut make the important decisions. I have my head for things like that.

Although....

We did see a house that we walked into, and right away I thought, "I want this!" I loved it, and so did Greg. The only problem was that someone had already put an offer down (one we couldn't compete with), and the seller was going to accept it that next morning. Bummer. I want to feel that way about another house, only I want it to actually be available for us. I like some of the houses we've seen. I like one of them a lot, but I don't feel that same way. It's a great buy, we'd get a good deal for it, but where's that gut feeling? Maybe I made my gut angry for chosing my head over it, and it left me. I want my gut back. I want to feel that gut feeling- the one where the excitement had a calming effect on me, where I felt comfortable stepping into the home, and I felt like I already belonged there. I'm sorry gut, I'll let you be a part of this again. Work your gutty magic. Please?