30 Is Just Around the Corner: June 2012

Doing something crazy was one of the things I knew I had to put on my list, but I was fairly certain that just before my 30th birthday, I would be justifying something barely crazy just so I could mark it off the list. You know, something like, "Wasn't it crazy how I didn't straighten all of the throw pillows on the couch as soon as you left? I waited five whole minutes." Or maybe, "I did something really crazy today. I messed up while handwriting a one page document. I didn't even rewrite the entire thing. I just scratched it out and kept going." I don't think either of these would count (even though admittedly, I would feel like I was totally stepping out of my shell in both scenarios).

"Crazy" has never been an adjective used to describe me. Instead, I still to terms like "level headed," "sensible," and "reserved." That's why even this 30 Before 30 challenge is a stretch for me. I am a big fan of routine and structure. Anything that pushes me beyond this I tend to stay away from.

If you've been reading along, you might remember here where I made a change on this list. When I put the original list together, one of my challenges was to move. I have lived in the same apartment since I graduated from college. 7 years, 2 months. I'll admit, this entry was added more as a challenge from my friends than a deep-seeded desire for a new surrounding. And, because I was never really comfortable with it, I changed it (my list, my rules).

This is where the craziness begins.

You'd think that, since I wasn't interested in moving, that I would ignore a Facebook post from college friends that they had put their house on the market. But, I remembered when these friends had bought the house and then proceeded to completely gut the inside and remodel everything. I was interested to see what it looked like inside now.

When I clicked on the link, I found a simple picture of the front of the house (I found out later that the Realtor's photographer would be coming in a few days to take pictures of the inside), basic listing details, and a price. The price is what caught my attention. For the size of the house and the amount of work that had been done, they had priced the house very reasonably.

Insert peaked interest here.

Here's how the next week went:
Thursday: Link that house is on the market posted via Facebook. Constantly thought about the house the rest of the evening.
Friday: Sent Facebook message to the owner to see if I could come look at the inside.
Sunday: Walked through the inside of the house with the owner, thus falling further in love with the house.
Monday: Contacted a Realtor that had been suggested by a friend first thing in the morning. Went through the house with the Realtor at lunch.
Tuesday: Placed initial offer on the house.
Wednesday-Thursday: Counter offer process on the house.
Friday: Signed offer.

You didn't count incorrectly. That is eight days. Eight days from the day I saw the Facebook post to the day the offer was signed. Oh, did I forget to mention that I wasn't looking to buy a house? Right. You know what that makes this scenario? CRAZY. Crazy and true.

So, over the coming few months, you'll get to see how this house will help me work on more items on my list. Things like:

#2 Learn something new--Believe me. I am going to have all kinds of homeowner things to learn, so it'll probably be hard to pick just one.
#19 Post a picture of a new craft each month--If you've met me, you know that I like to do things the cheap and creative way. I can't wait to make things for my home.
#5 Prepare an actual meal for my friends--Since I'll have more than 18" total of counter space, I think this is one of the things I'm looking forward to most.
#23 Embrace my relationship status--You don't need a husband to buy a house.

But for now, I'll leave you with a sneak peak of the insides (taken from the listing of the house).