westward, ho!

Two years ago, I opened up Yarn and Cocktails. It was snowing that day, and because we were nesting, I finally went over to Blogger and got started. Guess what? It's snowing again today, too.

I like to take the opportunities present by anniversaries, new years, and birthdays to reassess and look into the future. And decide to change what I don't like. So I think today is a good day to share the secret I've been keeping.

Hubby and I are moving to Portland, Oregon this spring.

(I think that we've told everyone who needs to know, but this could be an interesting experiment in learning who reads and never mentions it.)

Did you know, in that place called "Outside of metro NYC", people can control the temperature in their homes? Seriously! People get to decide if they want it to be 80 degrees inside in January! And that people have their own washers and dryers? You don't have to wait in line, nor worry if someone just used bleach in a machine that you are loading dark-colored clothes into? You also don't need to pay for the priviledge of using washers that never provide really hot water (thus no felting).

And there are places where parking is not an issue that overwhelms thoughts of going out? You can just park, and not for $40 for three hours, either! And when you come home, there's a place for you to park for the night! I know, it's crazy sounding.

These aren't the only reasons for moving. A 20-minute commute is pretty darn appealing after spending 2.5 hours per day getting back and forth from the office for 11 years. And some space to breathe is rather exciting as well. We are ready to live in a place where we can get to a hiking trail in minutes rather than hours. And the farmer's markets in Portland put the Union Square Greenmarket to shame.

There's wine for Hubby (and me), and fantastic yarn shops, too. We just need to sell a lovely apartment in a tony NYC suburb first. If you know anyone in the market, do drop a line. ;)