Just a heads up to everyone before you start reading this, the dishwasher will not be discussed in this post. The main reason being that I have yet to figure out its mysterious ways.
However, due to this weekends events I have been reminded of the biggest transition of going from an apartment to a house, the space. I ended up in a room this weekend about the same size as my old bed room in Brooklyn, 6 feet by 9 feet, and that’s when it came to mind that this had to be posted.
When you live in an apartment, especially one with only two bedrooms and six people, the little amount of walking space you have seems tremendous. It’s almost as though that Manhattan thought of “build up” gets ingrained into your brain when you design any room.
It isn’t until you upsize to a room double the size of what you had that you realize, “Wow, I have a lot of stuff.” Then again George Carlin always said, “A house is just a place to keep your stuff, while you go out and get more stuff.” Notice he never once said apartment, only house. Believe it or not its true.
While living in an apartment you don’t care about your things because the hottest commodity is empty square footage, well that and a door with a lock.
However, in this house I have sacrificed windows, current bedroom count at zero, for an extra 100 square feet. Then like that “build up” mentality suggests, after the queen sized bed, futon, four dressers, closet, washer, dryer, coffee table, and computer desk; the widest walkway is two feet wide, and it feels huge.
Where was all this stuff going in that tiny 6×9 room? How did it all in an Elantra? Why is there still so much room in this bedroom? Why is there a yard in the front and back of this place that aren’t made of cement? (Yes I am a veteran of the sidewalk backyard.)
These are all questions that anyone who has, is, or will ever go through this transition will ask themselves at one point or another. The answers can only be found after you’ve gone back to that 6×9 bedroom with a bunk-bed for a night and then they become clear:
1. It was stacked to the ceiling.
2. You didn’t buy the bed until after you moved here. (D’oh)
3. There is an extra 100 square feet.
4. It’s called a backyard and frontyard. Stop complaining and go play tag.
Those are the simple answers and simple is always better. That’s where I’ll leave you until next week, and Adam is starting to get mad about my lack of dish cleaning so hopefully I can get that dishwasher down for you soon. Until next time keep roaming around that four bedroom maze.
Up To The First Floor 
Great follow up to the last post. I never really thought about what it was like not having a yard. Enjoy it!
I didn’t realize you were such a good writer, Jeff! Good work!
This is why living in the city stinks. You need space. Otherwise you feel like a cramped up hamster in a cage.
The feedback is much appreciated. Also the paradox, of wether it is better to grow up with no space and adjust to more space or rather to be raised with extra space and down sizing to an apartment once on your own, needs to be critically analyzed in this particular situation.