When you know.

I was driving to California, and every second I got closer, it felt like I was driving home.

I am not quite sure how to explain it.

Even months ago when my husband and I were looking for houses.

We had to make a quick stop at Walmart, and as we were leaving, we felt like we should be driving back to our house.

The house we didn't have yet.

When we got the house, I hadn't even seen it yet.

The offer was accepted, and it was our 4th offer on our 4th house.

As soon as we had honed in on a neighborhood, Peter was relentless.

We weren't going to live anyplace else.

I checked real estate websites for months. Every day.

I saw houses come, I saw houses go.

But I felt peace.

We lost out on house one. I felt peace.

We lost out on house two. The WISTERIA house.

I felt peace. It wasn't perfect.

We lost out on house three. I started to be concerned, because time was getting short, but, still. . .it didn't turn to stress.

We put in a bid on house 4, it wasn't perfect, but it was in the neighborhood.

I was worried about the color, the size of the kitchen, the fact that there was no pantry, the layout, the fact that it didn't have a back yard, but. . .

I still felt fine about it.

We got it.

I felt peace.

Not excitement yet. But peace.

I drove 6 hours to go to the home inspection. This was going to be my only chance to see the house before we moved into it in a little over a month.

I pulled up.

It was a better color than I thought (It looks kinda pink in the pictures)

It had a better layout than I thought.

The tiles and carpet were all really nice! (House #3 had Forrest green carpet. . . so glad we lost out on THAT one)

The kitchen was big. . enough.

(The no pantry is still hurting, but I think I might convert a closet)

We have a lot of painting to do, but there were no crazy paint colors! (VERY common these days)

With each room, my excitement grew, and I knew. This. Was. Home.

If you have ever gone from owning homes, to renting one. You know.

How nice it is to finally call another space home.

I am so grateful.

It is perfect. For us.

It is big enough, for us.

It is close enough to the stores, for us.

It is wonderful to us.

I cannot wait another second to go HOME.

I am not sure how I can call a house that I have never lived in, in a town I have never lived, home. But I can.

And I am sure.

And it feels amazing.

I wasn't sure this day would come.

But it did.