THE HOUSE

    Now that I had packed up nearly all of my personal belongings, it was time to figure out where to ship them. So I booked a flight to Spokane for the second weekend in February to search for an apartment. I had chosen that weekend specifically because it was when Jenn was scheduled to be running the World Snowshoe Championships in Japan. And, since our time together was quickly dwindling, I took full advantage of the period she was already going to be away.

    Prior to my trip I had put together a detailed spreadsheet (yes, I’m a nerd) of all the available rentals that seemed, at least online anyway, to fit the bill. I prioritized the properties based on categories such as: cost, distance from work and the kids, number of bedrooms, off-street/garage parking, outdoor space, bonus and/or family room, etc. So, by the time my wheels touched down in Spokane I was ready to roll.

    I arranged to stay with J and the kids that weekend and use their guest room as base camp for my housing search. They had been there for about three weeks and were beginning to get settled in. It did feel a bit strange to be sleeping in the same house as J again, but we made a commitment to each other to put our differences aside and try to be good co-parenting role models for our children. Plus, it was an excellent opportunity for me to help the kids set up their rooms and add a bit of “normalcy” to an otherwise uneasy time in their lives.

    The first day of house hunting was a whirlwind of disappointment. I drove by nearly 30 properties on my list, and in my price range, and nothing came even close to being acceptable to go into... never mind move into. So, I was left with two choices. Lower my expectations or raise my budget. I had hoped to pay something reasonably close to what I was paying for my apartment in Ellsworth, but it just wasn’t meant to be. Unless I wanted to settle for a place that I would dread coming home to every night.

    So, the following day I reshuffled the deck and started looking for rentals in the next price range up. And, lo and behold, I found three that were worth visiting. A Victorian with beautiful woodwork near the university, a bungalow in a nice neighborhood near the park, and a brick cottage with a finished basement near the kids. All would end up being nearly $500 more a month than I paid in Ellsworth, but well worth it to know I could be living in a place that would feel like home.

    Once I toured them all, the obvious choice was the cottage near the kids. It was bright and warm on the inside. Lots of big windows and hardwood floors. It had tons of privacy. Sitting on a corner lot of a wide, tree-lined street. It had all the bells and whistles too. Central air conditioning, enclosed garage, washer/dryer hookup, a fireplace, and two bonus rooms so the kids would have plenty of space to stretch out. It was a mile from my office, a half mile from the kids, and a quarter mile from the nearest trailhead. In short, it was perfect!

    After signing papers, the four of us headed up to Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort, in nearby Sandpoint Idaho, to do some much-needed recreating. And as I glided down the bone-dry powder of my first ever west-coast ski slope I thought about everything that had transpired over the previous few months. I’d gotten divorced, found an apartment, fell in love, went to the Caribbean, quit my job, got a job, packed my stuff, found a house, and was about to move across the country. My head was spinning, and it wasn’t from the altitude.

All that was left for me to do now was fly home and say goodbye.