My peaceful retirement home-life is about to be cast into disruption, as our condo goes on the market today. It will mean life in a fishbowl with strangers coming and going at inconvenient times. I have a checklist of preparations for each showing, and a “For Sale” sign will soon announce to the neighbors that we are making way for new faces. With each new prospect, I’ll have to stop what I’m doing or watching, gather the dogs, and leave the house. I’m not looking forward to these inconveniences, not to mention if someone actually decides to buy it. Then, there will be movers to hire, packing to do, and boxes to organize. It will be the 31st time that I’ve moved in this lifetime – always a hassle. 

It’s exciting in a way, not knowing where our next home will be. It will most likely be a small apartment, meaning many of our possessions will end up in storage. My new office will probably double as a guest room, without the space necessary to display my collection of sports memorabilia. A smaller desk will be my writing home, as it often is in a hotel room or cruise ship. The plan is to downsize, cut down on day-to-day expenses, and travel more. Home will be a place just to hang my hat – next to my computer. 

The cleaning crew comes this afternoon, as they do every month. Tomorrow may very well be the first showing. The dogs will be at the groomer, so that will ease the inconvenience of what to do with them while they scrutinize the property. Will it take days or months to sell? How long will I continue to sit at this particular writing desk? In two weeks we’ll be in Steamboat Colorado celebrating my 68th birthday. In three weeks, my wife’s daughter gets married in San Francisco. Five weeks from now we may be in New York City. There is really a very short window for showings, so we’re hoping for a quick bite. The price is right, based on similar homes that have sold down the block from us. Selling speed has not been a luxury we’re ever had the privilege of experiencing, considering that it once took 6 years for us to unload a home back in Illinois. It happened in only months in the move from Austin, so it seems our luck has changed. At least this time, we are not on a timetable. If it doesn’t sell, we won’t move!