closing!

I closed on my condo today! It was a really great experience, and there were a lot of wonderful surprises.

My friend Elizabeth came with me to the closing, so I wouldn't have to go alone. The closing itself was great -- there were fewer forms to sign than the "mountains" I had been warned about, and I understood everything that was set before me (hooray for doing obsessive research beforehand!). My realtor gave me a lovely gift -- a set of matching placemats and linen napkins that go perfectly with the decor in the new place, plus a gift certificate to World Market to buy more stuff.

The seller (also a young single woman) left me a bunch of nice little surprises -- nice curtains, a bathroom cabinet, candles, stainless steel polisher, a list of paint colors for all the rooms, labels on all the keys, even a vase full of tulips and a congratulatory card!

Elizabeth and I brought one load of fragile items (and a few books) over to my new home tonight, and I will bring some more stuff over on Friday. The moving van happens on Saturday... and then it's just home sweet home.

I kind of feel like I've been run over by a truck, but it was a really good day.