Perhaps it's a phase I'm going through. But I'm really beginning to think this whole American dream of homeownership might be overrated. I have a 2,400-square-foot house - modest by American suburban standards - but it's more space than I really need. At least for now, with just one bambino.
I'm just not that into mowing the lawn and getting my ass bitten all over by mosquitoes and god knows what else. I admire my backyard but, like a lot of Americans, hardly use it. I don't go down to the basement except to laze around on a couch zoning out to bad TV. I don't have access to a community pool when it's 102 degrees outside.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not one of those stereotypical suburbanites who live way the fuck out and in quiet desperation. I'm 14 miles from the White House and three blocks from one of the busiest intersections in the DC area. Our social calendar is pretty full with friends going in and out. It's just that I miss living in a modest 1,000-square-foot apartment where I don't have to call out "where are you?" to locate my wife. I miss not having a mortgage, not having to pay property tax or homeowners insurance or having to fix shit on my own. I miss the simpler life.
But then, I remind myself of the things I do have - a beautiful, loving wife, a great kid, a big-ass house where I can hide from them occasionally, a job where I'm not banging my head aginst a wall, parents nearby, and 5-minute commute to work. And life is all good once again.
What do you think? Is this a normal reaction for new homeowners?
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