Oh, how things change!

I was breaking down some Fresh Direct boxes for recycling the other day when I remembered a time when I didn't take the boxes down the hall to recycling. To a time when I stashed all boxes that came into the house under the bed.

It was during our first year when we lived on Roosevelt Island. It was also before my hip surgery (which is only important here because pain changes one's state of mind). I was working as a teacher's assistant at a nearby school. We didn't have any flex in our budget. Everything about the city overwhelmed me- the noise, the size, the prices, everything.

I hated it.

Thus the boxes under the bed. I was convinced that we would decide to move at the first possible opportunity. Maybe to Texas where E is also on the lawyer bar. If fact, I seem to remember sending out an email saying just that. We're done here. Hate it. Move to Texas taking whatever work can be found.

Now, obviously we didn't leave the city. What changed? Well, two big things: one we got a diagnosis on my hip and a surgery done and once it was done I found myself enjoying things more. Two, we moved to the Upper West Side. Roosevelt Island was nice, but the UWS was awesome.

I think we stopped collecting broken down boxes under the bed after the move from Roosevelt Island to the UWS. It still took a while for me to stop wishing I lived somewhere else, but before I knew it I couldn't dream of leaving the NYC area.

We have just begun a VERY gradual looking process for the next size up place. And by place we aren't sure WHAT but we know where. Right here in Forest Hills, NYC.