Note: I meant to write this post within the first two weeks of moving in but instead it’s happening almost six weeks later. I’m kinda happy I waited, it gave me more to think about.
During winter break, Caitlyn and I bought a house in Anaheim. While it’s wildly exciting, it’s also one of the most terrifying things one can imagine.
Leaving Long Beach wasn’t easy. Having grown up there and returning after college, I’ve spent most of my life between the 710, 605, and the Pacific coast.
The house on Falcon was pretty special. It was the first place that Caitlyn and I shared. I remember when my parents first bought it almost a decade ago. They were told it was a former drug house and the condition of the house corroborated that fact. At the time, I couldn’t see what my parents saw in that house. It was a dump. I remember asking them after they bought it if they “could take it back.”
Today I know that it doesn’t really work like that. We sure signed a lot of paperwork to get this house. On the last day when you sign a mountain of documents, I counted 44 signatures before it was all over. But so far it’s all been worth it.
Ian, Cory and Angela helped with the move and it really helped that Cory owns a massive flatbed truck. We were able to move all our large items in a single trip.
The Little Stuff
It took us another week and a half to bring over all the small items and fragile things. The kitchen especially; It was a real pain in the ass to move.
Either way, the new house is great. There was a few things to take care of including but not limited to: water damage around a few windows, a whole new HVAC system, and running a ground wire under the house. I didn’t really think that I would like doing all this homeowner handyman stuff but in truth, it’s really quite fun. It’s surprising how handy you can be when you’re trying to save a few bucks.
The Good Stuff
Living near the Packing House is rad. There’s a whole slew of restaurants and bars all within walking distance. We’ve gone out pretty much every weekend to a new place. So far, 18 Folds, Umami Burger and Unsung Brewery have been my favorite places.
The neighborhood in general is also pretty cool. There’s Disneyland fireworks every night at 9:30pm. Parking is not bad. And all the neighbors seem pretty cool. Looking at the other streets on either side of us, that’s not necessarily the case. As it happens, our street is the only street with original trees on the streets. It really gives a nice cohesive feeling to the street.