You know you live in an apartment when...

It has been more than 30 years since we lived in an apartment or condo and we knew there would be an adjustment period as we learned again how to live in a smaller space with less privacy. Here are the top 10 things we've learned/remembered/discovered so far:

You know you live in an apartment when:

1. ... you can clean your home from top to bottom in an hour. This is a definite plus!
2. ... you go to the grocery store almost every day because you don't have storage space and you don't want to make multiple trips to/from the parking garage to unload groceries.
3. ... you wait (and sometimes wait and wait!) for maintenance people to do simple "repairs" you could do yourself. We wanted an a/c vent turned around for better air flow- a job Richard could easily have done himself if he had the right screwdriver and a ladder.
4. ... you are suddenly conscious of the noise you make. Is it too early/late to vacuum? Is the tv too loud?
5. ... complete strangers unlock your front door and walk in. I have been surprised by maintenance guys, housekeeping and the furniture company. We now have a privacy lock =)
6. ... the daily newspaper (The Washington Post) is delivered to your doorstep, precisely in the middle of the doormat... not somewhere in the vague direction of your home. This will be hard to give up when we return to our house!
7. ... there are no instruction books for any of your appliances. Does anyone have any tips for using a gas stove/oven?
8. ... you can incorporate aerobic exercise into taking the trash out... up and down two flights of stairs and across the apartment complex to the trash compactor.
9. ... you have to switch out clothes seasonally since only one season fits in the closet. We have our winter clothes stored in a suitcase... making that space do double duty!
10. ... purchasing anything (food, clothes, books, ANYTHING!) requires you to get rid of something else first. This is a good thing- it makes you really evaluate how badly you need/want something BEFORE you purchase it.