We returned from the Bay Area tonight. The drive was long and arduous. Robby must has been a truck driver in a past life because he has immense stamina for driving long distances. He plugged in his earphones to listen to his sci-fi podcast while I sat in the back with Atticus and we baked in the 100-degree heat under the sun.
Our five-day trip was a fun one. We hung out with my sisters & their children. We kissed all our nieces. Met a new niece (2 months old). We hung out with Robby's dad & stepmom (Gramps & Grammy), first in Berkeley, then Moraga, then Palo Alto. I showed them around the UC Berkeley campus & explained all my old haunts to Atticus. The grandparents bought some Cal gear for him. We had dinner with Aunt Pat & Uncle Tom & their friends in Moraga, an lush & quiet oasis beyond the Berkeley Hills. Made some new friends & made smores. It was a wonderful trip full of family gatherings.
Now we've unloaded the car, unpacked, bathed & fed Atticus, put him to sleep, & scarfed down a Trader Joe's dinner. We have 3 days to box our belongings before we move to our new apartment.
Note: Robby & I love to have conversations in bed before we fall asleep. Last night, we talked about the pros & cons of buying a house. No way are we in the position now to purchase a home, but recently some friends have & it got us thinking. As we talked, a very simple idea occurred to me (I don't know why I didn't realize it so plainly before): We will always end up paying more than the sale price of the home because of interest from a loan. Does that mean that most people end up paying more for their house than what it's worth? I've read numerous articles about the housing crisis, so I am familiar with the different theories that explain the bursting bubble (though some economists will argue that there never was a bubble to begin with). But last night the thought finally hit me loudly & clearly, & suddenly the thought of buying a house made my stomach turn. Why lock yourself into a house that will end up costing more than its worth? I guess we can't predict the worth of a house over time, but people are misled to assumed that housing prices always rise. Anyway, our conversation gave me some food for thought. We like renting. We like the idea of not being locked into one place, one house, one city. If we wanted to pack up & move to Europe or the East Coast, it would quite easy for us. I guess we both don't mind being nomads.
Good night!
1 comment:
Before you leave the Bay Area, you should remember to check out the cars for sale Bay Area has available so that you wouldn't miss buying a quality used car which you'll need for your trip.
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