Well I’ve been waiting a long time to talk about the big news… so here I go!

On Sunday I received a full-time job offer from the company in Gastown I’ve been interviewing with… and I accepted it. I’ve turned down some really good opportunities in Kelowna and LA to work there… but I know I made the right decision. I start on Monday although my technical start date is March 3rd (so much moving craziness to sort out that I don’t want to interfere with my job). I am so excited. I am happy to have not settled on any level. I’ve worked and traveled with some of the people there before and they are all great. Smart, fun, professional people. I will be a Product Marketing Manager there. I can’t wait to make a big difference.

The other big news… is that I will no longer be living in an old apartment building! That’s right… Allan and I signed a lease on Wednesday for a new 2 bedroom in South Granville/Fairview. It’s only a couple blocks away from where we were living before, and steps from our friends. It’s also close to Granville Island and the Capers Organic Whole Foods Market we go to. We really wanted to stay in the area… it’s so central and close to downtown without having to live in the coldness, crowdedness, and big box apathetic feel that I don’t like about downtown living.

Old Place, Bedroom (Half packed up)

Old Place, Living Room

Old Place, Kitchen

We managed to check off every single piece of criteria we had for an apartment:

- In the South Granville/Fairview area. Close to downtown but not downtown. Check.
- Ground level. (Try dealing with a 9’6″ surfboard in an elevator) Check.
- Brand new. Check.
- Large patio. Check.
- Nicely appointed kitchen with new appliances, especially a dishwasher. Check.
- Big enough bedroom for a king size bed. Check.
- Spacious living room. Check.
- Carpeted. Check.
- 2 bedroom. (2nd bedroom will be the sports room) Check.
- 2 bathrooms. Check.
- En-suite laundry. Check.
- Walk-in closet. Check. (Not as nice as Lindsay‘s though!)
- Included parking and storage locker. Check.
- Gets afternoon sun instead of morning sun.
- Quiet neighbourhood NOT on a busy street with good neighbours. Check.

Best of all… we are moving on Saturday! Yes, it is really soon and so we are spending all day today packing. Craziness. I prefer a swift transition though than dragging it out and waiting. Plus I want to get this all settled and sorted out before I start my new job.

I’ll try and get some better pictures of the new place. These were snapped quickly right after we signed the lease.

I’ve been thinking a lot about how we can decorate it and what sort of furnishings we can use to complete it. I’m thinking it’s going to be west coast style (of course) with themes of our activities and passions. Allan has been living in his apartment for over 3 years and I’ve been living here for about a year and a half. It’s pretty much like a storage locker, there’s so much stuff accumulated over the years. I’m hoping this move will give us a chance to have “our” place together, rather than either mine or his. I’m hoping the interior design will reflect that eventually.

New Place, Kitchen

New Place, Living Room & Patio

New Place, Master Bathroom

New Place, Walk-in Closet

I’ll be posting pictures over time to show how the place evolves. It’s going to be pretty bare bones as we both get adjusted to it and furnish it over time.

So that’s the big news! I’m so excited about moving forward into the next stage of my life. It feels like nothing but sunshine in my life right now

Okay… back to packing!