I want to preface this by saying I am really, truly very happy we bought a house. It’s a great house and I can’t wait to make it our home where we raise a family. We have a yard (for a soon-to-be-adopted puppy!) and tons of space to make our own. So again, I repeat, I am happy.
Having said that…I’m also incredibly sad to leave where we currently live. I’m not necessarily sad to leave our apartment, although it has treated us very well for the last year and a half. What I’m having difficulty with is giving up the “city” lifestyle. Literally hundreds of bars, restaurants, and shops are in a 5-10 minute walking distance. I can’t even explain how much I love this luxury and how much I will miss it. Our new house is a short drive from “fun stuff” (short being a relative term since it takes at least 30 minutes, if not an hour, to get anywhere in the DC area), but it’s just not the same.
We targeted Bethesda as a place to move not only because it’s where Josh found a job, but because we wanted to have a similar lifestyle to what we had in college (minus the classes, homework, and 3 day binge-drinking weekends and plus a bit more disposable income and responsibility.) Bethesda was the perfect solution! We became a one car household, Josh was able to walk to work, and we had a damn good time exploring our new city and enjoying everything that came with it.
Now, we’re packing up and moving to the suburbs. To a great house, yes. In a great neighborhood, yes. And it *should* go without saying that I’m incredibly grateful and lucky that we can afford to buy a house and blah blah (because I can just hear some one saying “Oh poor her, moving to a nice big house. What a sad life.”) The point is, I’m growing up and I’m scared. I think what scares me the most is becoming the dreaded (to me) boring married couple? Josh and I are fun, outgoing, party people. We like to go out to dinner with friends, have drinks, maybe go dancing or just go to a bar after. Homebody isn’t a word I would use to describe either of us (and god help me if it ever is…) and I just don’t want this to mark the end of my fun years.
Get ready, Joe! We're movin' on up!
But there’s no turning back now and I don’t regret what we’re doing one bit. Here’s to the next chapter!
Since we’re all around the same age, how are you all handling growing up? And how the hell am I ever going to handle having a kid?
A Leap Begins 
I’m now imagining Joey Joesph in a top hat with a cane singing “Movin’ on uppppppp to the Suburbssssss… deluxe house with mice to chaseeeeeee” It would be epic.
And how do I grow up? Heck naw, I haven’t grown up yet. I STILL live in the student ghetto in my college town. 8 years running strong baby. I’m glad you’re nervous, it shows you’re not running from anything but continuing to build your family and life – and that is kind of awesome.
My house will not have mice. That’s not even funny. Gag.
Thank you for being such a good friend. 🙂
Even though you’re nervous, I’m predicting that you guys will be just fine, and your lives won’t change *that* much. I’m a firm believer that we make what we want out of our lives. So if you guys still want to be the party people you’ve been, you’ll make it happen. Heck, with a new house, maybe you’ll have space to put in a wet bar and make your very own party place!
I know with my husband and I, being close to buying our first home, we’re more nervous in an “oh crap, xyz is broken, now we have to pay to get that shiz fixed ourselves!” kind of way, more than how much our lives will change. But then, we’ve pretty much always lived in the ‘burbs, have been renting houses for the last 6 years, and are used to a little drive to get to the restaurants and bars. Having yard space has always been much more important to us (and as a side note, squeeee! at you guys getting a puppy), so we’ve adjusted with a little driving, to still get the location we want. Life is what you make it, but it definitely doesn’t come without some compromises! I guess that’s being an adult means.
Good luck coming to terms with the changes coming up!
I was kinda bummed the first few months I got married and moved to the suburbs with Kevin. Having my roommates, right in the city, where fun was right around the corner was so easy! We could go out when we wanted, shop within minutes and have delivery anything. Now, I live in timbucktwo and it’s very different. Of course, I wouldn’t change a thing although it took some adjusting.
You might have a little further to drive but you and Josh are such outgoing, fun people, I’m sure you will still keep some of the same lifestyle.
Oh, and PUPPY?! Can’t wait to hear more!! 😀
Oh I completely know how you feel. My husband and I recently moved from D.C. to Alexandria. Although it’s not that far away, I was really concerned about leaving the city life behind. We’ve only lived out in the ‘burbs for a few months, but I have learned that it will always be what you make it. I love D.C. and so I have to make time for city time. So far we have had a few date nights downtown. And on top of that we get to explore Old Town and other areas out in Virginia that we would never have ventured to if we didn’t live here.
Buying a house is so exciting, so I hope you get to keep a little of what you like now with some entirely new adventures.
BTW, Bethesda is pretty awesome.
We just bought a house too and I have similar feelings that you do. Our house is just 5 minutes from where we currently live, but a lot of my friends are still living the single life-live near bars-go out a lot-lifestyle and that 5 minutes might as well be an hour to them. We have a great patio, and I’m sure we will be the “pregame” for some of our friends before they go out and sit on a patio at a bar. Even though I’m the same age as many of my friends, sometimes I feel way older. I feel ya!!
Love you guys and am so proud of you!
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I feel the same way as you about our neighborhood, which is one of the reasons I think we haven’t pulled the trigger on buying a home yet. We’re looking, and I am excited to look, but we really, and I mean REALLY love where we live. To the point that we have considered giving up a yard and just raising our kids in a condo in the city, because we love our neighborhood sooooooo much.
That being said, I know that’s not what we’ll end up doing, because there is this side of me that craves the suburbs too. And B feels the same way. So I think it might help for you to look at all the things about home buying that you ARE excited about, like decorating your own space, and a yard with a puppy, and more, instead of thinking about what you’re giving up. Because it sounds to me like you guys will still make the effort to have the same lifestyle you have now, because that’s who you are. You’re not homebodies, so I don’t think you’ll now sit at home because you have a house, you know?
And don’t worry about being ready for a kid–if you get a puppy, you’ll get a taste of that medicine. My parents got a puppy last year and my mom called me desperately to tell me she felt like she had a third baby, haha! 🙂
Congrats on the new house!
youre going to do AWESOME! have fun, settle into your home living lifestyle- then live life for a year ish… then when you think life is “boring” HAVE that BABY! they make life SUPER FUN! 🙂
Grown up? Oh yeah, I suppose when I hear my daughter say “mama” I realize she’s not talking to my mom, she’s talking to me! It’s great. And I would like to express my feelings through this song with you because it’s the truth!
SUNDAY FUNDAYYYY. Don’t worry. We’ll still have ’em. And they don’t even have to be on Sunday’s. 😉
In all seriousness, though – I get 110% where you’re coming from and what you’re saying. Even in our old apartment, I still wanted to be more central, closer to the city, around people and places – it’s how I roll and how I function. While it was very, very nerve-wracking to move to our house, I grow happier with that choice every day. There are pros and cons, as with anything, but in the end, it was a good step forward. Do I miss living in an apartment/in the city? Every day. But, hello, a room that serves as a closet and a dog and a backyard? Total win!! Plus, you and the J-man will still manage to be the social butterflies you are – hasn’t stopped me any!