Hello from Portland, Maine! It's been a whirlwind couple of months, but I'm
almost settled into the new digs. I officially closed on my new condo on April 27th, and the past few weeks have been a ton of back and forth from Maine to Massachusetts as I wrap things up with my job. So since I've been MIA for so long, here's a little Q&A to start things back up:
Why did you move to Portland?
It's no secret that Maine has a huge piece of my heart, and I knew I wanted to end up here eventually. While I really loved my home in the sticks of MA (#highstreethouse), socially it was a bit of a nightmare and for the next chapter, I wanted to be in a city. I thought about Boston, but I already did that when I was in law school and wanted a change--and although I
love Chicago, I knew I wanted to be closer to my family. Portland is the perfect small city with an amazing restaurant scene and proximity to my family in the Northeast.
Why buy instead of rent?
I was in a position to buy after I sold my house so I viewed this a great way to start my life in Maine and also make a financial investment for the future.
What's the condo like?
I most definitely downsized--the square footage of my current place is less than half the size of my previous digs (which was really too big for me anyway). It's a one bedroom that's pretty open with super high ceilings and it gets amazing light. It also has two gorgeous marble fireplaces that are currently non-functioning, but I might try to convert them to gas down the road. It's really all I need at this stage, and it was actually cathartic to get rid of a ton of stuff. Stay tuned for house pics!
Where are you in Portland?
I'm in the West End, which is perfect. It's walking distance to downtown but it's a spot that's a little quieter with a community feel. I already love the neighborhood--there are great places to eat within the block and everyone is super friendly.
How is Olive adjusting?
To be perfectly honest, I was a little worried about Olive transitioning from country life to living in the city (I was used to opening the front door and letting her wander around the yard and now she goes for full blown walks on a leash). But from what I can tell, she loves it--she likes to be out and about and she's rather popular with fellow pedestrians, which I think she appreciates. So far, she's been great.
New job?
I've been in the same field for the past 10 years, and I was really ready for a change--my plan was to start to look for something new as soon as I was settled, but I was approached by a company on LinkedIn and voila! I start after Memorial Day. It's a similar field to what I'm currently doing (legal real estate) but with a different focus. I get to work remotely (!!!) with a little bit of travel mixed in, and I'm really excited about it.
So that's where I am--it's definitely been a crazy couple of months, but I'm really excited to start this next chapter (and blog more with the help of a new computer that actually works).
Happy Monday!