Downsizing

3700 square feet.  That is, by any stretch of the imagination, too much room for a family of four.  We realize that, and there are rooms that aren't used very much at all.  That said, EVERY room in this house has come in handy at some point of another.  It has also come with banishment to the suburbs, the nearest grocery store three miles away, very few walking destinations, and the need for two cars.

So when we got our housing assignment in Vienna, we were really excited.  Within a ten minute walk of three U-Bahn lines.  8 minutes to St. Stephan's Cathedral in the heart of Vienna.  Less than a mile to the Hapsburg.  A half an hour to walk to the Prater and the famous Riesen Rad.  A grocery store across the store, and two others a 5 minute walk away.  It's urban living in a style that DC can't even get CLOSE to.  And the view -- I mean, really.

It's so European, it's just ridiculous.

But -- our new place is 1300 square feet.  Just a bit more than a third of our current house.

Now, mind you, this isn't a bad thing.  As I mentioned, we have rooms that hardly ever get used. This will help us keep our crap (and God, do the kids ever acquire crap) limited, and we'll use a space where we're all together more often.  The main worry, in my mind, is the guest bedroom.  Because, you know, we WANT you to visit.  We just don't want you to have to sleep in something that's closer to a walk-in closet than the guest suite we currently have.  Also, if I DO end up getting an MA/MBA during our time there, I need someplace to study that the kids can be shut out of.

The housing people gave us blueprints, but unfortunately, you can't actually read the dimensions on them. So, this picture is really all we have to go on, as to what the guest room/my office will look like -- just so you know what you're getting into if you do decide to come visit.