Friday, December 6, 2013

Rootless: Upstairs, Downstairs - or - Going With the Flow




When I moved to Alamogordo, I thought I knew what I wanted: A second-floor apartment. I didn't get that second-floor apartment, and I'm glad I didn't.

As a ground-floor tenant, I: 
  • Had French doors that opened out to a private corner of a community back yard, with shade trees, grass, an attractive stone wall, and my bird feeder, 
  • Realized utility savings during the summer when I ran the air conditioning,
  • Didn't worry about the noise I made when I walked around upstairs (as the sound proofing of the floors was very poor), and
  • When family visited, the ground-floor access was so easy for them. 

My back yard view from Alamogordo apartment


When I moved to Lafayette, I thought I knew what I wanted: A ground-floor apartment. I didn't get that ground-floor apartment, and I'm glad I didn't:

As a second-floor tenant, I: 
  • Have the privacy I crave in a place where, if I were on the ground floor, there'd be frequent vehicle and person traffic going by my windows; 
  • Enjoy a view of big, lush, green plant life next to slanted roofs, and 
  • Can sit outside on the wrought-iron chaise on the veranda by my door and look at the view and not a parked car. 

View from apartment, Lafayette, Louisiana



Speaking of views from my places, one of my favorites is the windowsill in my bedroom at Nely's house in Rustavi, Caucasus Georgia. This was an upstairs place.

Windowsill view, Rustavi, Caucasus Georgia


View from bedroom window, Rustavi, Caucasus Georgia

This wasn't exactly my view from Azeb's house in Nazret, Ethiopia, but it was close:

View from Azeb's house, Nazret (Adama), Ethiopia


This was a ground-floor place. At 6:00 p.m. sharp, one must close the windows because that's when the bimbies (mosquitoes) come out. 











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