Thursday, September 25, 2014

The Old Apartment (This is Where We Used to Live)

Oh, saying goodbyes in Vancouver has been so very difficult. We said goodbye to dear family, very close friends, and our home.

When I notified our landlord that we'd be moving away, he asked me to take some photos for the ad he would soon be posting on craigslist. I glanced around our apartment, which looked roughly like a bomb had gone off, and said "No problem!" and got to work. I shuffled boxes and crap around to take some loving photographs of our home, and I'm so glad that I did. I am grateful to have these photos now that we have left.

As much as we sometimes complained about our apartment--only having one bathroom is never good for a marriage--I cried like a baby when I finally locked the door one last time. Our daughters were literally born there, in our bedroom. It was our first home as a married couple. It was a location for so many Wednesday night potlucks, book club meetings, and other get togethers with friends. Honey Bee took her first steps there, we had the most incredible neighbours, it was in the most amazing neighbourhood in Vancouver, and it was the backdrop to countless memories of our time there.

I have a newfound understanding for people who find it difficult to move, even from circumstances that are less than optimal living conditions. Being accustomed to moving around a lot, I never really felt particularly attached to the house part of "home". But in this little apartment, Huz and I really made the effort to create the homey part of "home" and make this a cozy dwelling for our family (although we suck at decorating). We lived here for 6 years, and it is unfathomable to me now, how people can move away from places that they've lived in for 10, 20, 30 years, etc. Although you take the memories with you when you go, the attachment to the bricks and mortar is undeniable.

So thank you, cozy little apartment, for housing us within your walls for these 6 years, and for allowing us to begin our life as a family here. We will cherish the memories, and the apartment, always.

The girls room. The best room in the house. We learned to paint from YouTube to paint this room while we were expecting Honey Bee, and also learned that painting is hard and very time-consuming.


This picture is so very deceptive. I removed about 80% of our toys, dog beds, and crap before snapping this picture. If only it was always this tidy! 

Tiny, but very adorable kitchen, which allowed me to watch the girls in the living room while cooking generally unmemorable meals. I did, however, create one very memorable Duck à L'Orange here for a very fancy and never to happen ever again dinner party.

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