Choosing a home: ambivalence hurts

As some of you know, Tim and I are in the process of looking for a new home. Yesterday we took a look at a beautiful eco-home in Roslindale. We also met with some very cool people who are looking to set up a multi-family co-op in Somerville. And we have open conversations going with an existing co-op in Allston, and with a couple of other groups looking to start co-ops in Somerville.

The Roslindale place is beautiful and quiet, has bees and chickens, and is adjacent to the beautiful parkland of Stony Brook Reservation. At two miles beyond the Forest Hills end of the Orange Line, is also rather remote from our preferred stomping grounds and most of the Boston people we love. Comparing it to our other options reifies an intense ambivalence I've been living with for a long time: striking the right balance between my love for urban living (intensified by the wonderful second family we've developed in the Boston Area) and my strong desire for intimacy with the land.

No matter what we decide, I think there is going to be some heartache.