Category: Living in the U.S.

From Boston to Los Angeles

On By Nicole HennigIn Living in the U.S., Location flexibility2 Comments

Recovering from a broken ankle in beautiful weather instead of ice and snow

On Feb. 6 I left snowy Boston and came to LA. Wow, what a difference! I have always lived in cold climates during the winter – this is my first time being in a place with nice weather during February. Of course I’m loving it!

Boston & LA in February
Boston & LA in February

If you’ve been following this blog, you know that I fractured my ankle on Nov. 1. I had to stay off it for almost 8 weeks, and I was on crutches for a while, in the midst of a snowy, icy Boston winter. By late December I managed to be able to walk without crutches, which felt wonderful.
Continue reading “From Boston to Los Angeles” →

Location-flexible with an injury

On By Nicole HennigIn Living in the U.S., Location flexibility5 Comments

On Friday November 1, in Monterey, CA, I fell and broke my ankle.

How it happened

A typical city bus in Monterey.
A typical city bus in Monterey.

I don’t know why it happened, but I stepped off a bus and somehow tripped on the steps. When I fell, my foot must have twisted under me. I waved the bus on, because I thought I just needed a minute to catch my breath and I would get up. But I could not get up at all and my ankle swelled to the size of a tangerine! Luckily, I was right in front of a motel, and the front desk worker came outside. I asked him to help me get up and he brought me into the office and called a cab for me, so I could go to the emergency room. Continue reading “Location-flexible with an injury” →

Why I prefer access to ownership, part 2: housing

On By Nicole HennigIn Housing, Living abroad, Living in the U.S., Location flexibility, Minimalism, Travel1 Comment

This article is part 2 of a series. See also: Why I prefer access to ownership, part 1: cars, books and more

An Airbnb apartment in Omaha (Dundee neighborhood) where I stayed for a few days.
An Airbnb apartment in Omaha (Dundee neighborhood) where I stayed for a few days.

I like the idea of not owning a place to live, but instead having access to well-designed living spaces that I can use as needed — like Zipcar, but for housing.

Since I didn’t purchase real estate until later in life (and right before the housing crash), I never made money from it or built equity (since I had 100% financing). It’s currently breaking even as a rental and when the value comes back up to a little more than I owe, I’ll probably sell it, since I don’t want the responsibility of owning something in a city where I don’t spend much time. Continue reading “Why I prefer access to ownership, part 2: housing” →