Home Again, Home Again, Jiggety Jig

We arrived in Tampa a few days before Thanksgiving. It was a bit of a let-down to know our Epic Road Trip had come to an end. But it was exciting to have a new adventure ahead - a new apartment in downtown Tampa. We had talked about doing this for years. Now is the time!

Our new neighborhood is called Water Street. It is designed to be walkable and sustainable, with the latest in urban design and building technology. Our apartment building is just steps away from the Riverwalk, Sparkman Wharf, the Aquarium, the Tampa Bay History Center, and Amalie Arena.

Our apartment rental experiences in Seattle and New York had helped us to get a feel for apartment life. Parking in a multi-story garage takes some getting used to; having a lobby concierge is awesome. Our Tampa apartment is significantly smaller than our house was, but we have floor-to-ceiling windows and a large balcony that makes the whole space seem larger.

From our travels, we had learned that we liked being on a high floor, but not too high to see what is happening below us. So our Tampa apartment is just high enough. And we love our views of downtown Tampa, especially in the mornings and evenings.

Soon after our return to Tampa, both Danny and Amy joined us, and we celebrated Thanksgiving at Steve's parents' house. We had a lot to be grateful for - good health, happy kids, a new apartment, and an abundance of great memories from an Epic Road Trip.