Moving right along
Moving out of state is a big deal and finding a place to call home is another. I moved out on my own for the first time when I was eighteen. It was 1982 and I had just started college at the University of North Alabama in Florence, AL. I was a bright eyed, enthusiastic freshman just dipping my toes in the water of adulthood. I was moving out on my own and paving a new path for myself. A friend of mine found a two bedroom furnished apartment on the second floor of a home downtown. The rent was exceptionally within my means. Split between us it was seventy five dollars each, and that included water, electricity, garbage, phone and cable. Oh, those were the days. In addition to the remarkable cost for rent, it was beautiful. The house was only two blocks from campus on a hillside. Being late for class was never a concern because I could simply walk to school and avoid any traffic. After college, I got married and moved into a country style home about 45 minutes away from work. I soon realized that the most important thing about finding a home is location, location, location.
The last week in April of this year, when I started at The South Reporter, I began looking for a place to rent in Holly Springs along with the help of my wonderful coworkers, Barbara Taylor, Sue Watson, Pam Burleson, Bonnie Gurley, and LaZandra Wells. Oh my goodness, it was so hard to find a rental home, apartment, duplex, etc., anywhere. Everyone in the office graciously asked everyone they knew about a place for rent to no avail. So, I started looking at other options outside of Holly Springs and Marshall County. To my disappointment, I was having no luck.
I kept searching every day. Ideally, I wanted to find a place no more than 15 minutes away from the office. Not only for convenience, but to save money on gas since gas prices have sky-rocketed to almost five dollars a gallon. The nearest rental home that I could find was in Oxford, but that was about 35 minutes away! When it seemed that I would have to live somewhere outside of Holly Springs, and maybe even as far as outside of Marshall County, Sue informed me that she had a friend who was looking to rent out a small cottage. Also, it was only a block or two away from work! To hear that was music to my ears. The next day Pam informed me of a two bedroom rental a few blocks from work as well. I couldn’t believe how my luck had turned around. I immediately made an appointment to tour them both.
The first option was the cutest little cottage I had ever seen with the added benefit of being so close to my office. However, it only had one bedroom and I preferred a two bedroom home to avoid putting any of my furniture in storage. So, I thanked the renter and went to the second rental option. As soon as I arrived in the driveway of the second house, I knew it was perfect for me. After I toured the inside I knew I found my new home.
I was so delighted and hopeful when I left. I could already picture where I was going to place my furniture and other things. It felt like exactly the right home for me.
However, the renter still needed to confirm a few things before we could seal the deal. I was so worried the following day that someone else might view the home and it would be unavailable to me. So, I contacted the real estate agent that was handling it for the owner and she informed me that it could be all mine as soon as the paperwork was finished. Now everything is right on track for me to be an official resident of Holly Springs. I’m so excited and thankful. I would especially like to thank all my co-workers and their friends who kept an eye out for me during my transition from Tuscumbia, AL to Holly Springs. I’ve finally found my place here, and I’m excited for the new adventures and memories to be made in this beautiful town.