Moving in together: What to expect?

Hello My Lovelies, 

Time for a life update! 

I can't remember if I've briefed you on my currently living situation but I'm going to do it anyway. For the last 25 1/2 years, I've been attached at my moms hip. When my parents split, we downgraded from a 5 bedroom house to a 2 bedroom apartment. Boy... was it a drastic change. 

Her bedroom used to be on the other side of the house from my bedroom and all of a sudden she was a few feet from me. 

Needless to say, I missed the space. 

Our living dynamic changed once I met my boyfriend and things were pretty serious between us pretty quickly. It went from going over for a few hours to staying really late...to sleeping over a couple times a month to never-leaving-this-house lol 

So yeah. We live together now. We eat, sleep, breath and poop in the same household and let me just warn ya... it's a rude awakening! 

Now, you may be asking yourself before taking the big plunge of living together "what's it like?" That's why I'm here! 

Here is my "What to Expect" 101 guide: Moving in together edition. 

1. Moving will be stressful. Moving furniture/heavy boxes from one place to your new home is hard work. Prepare for some attitude and side eyeing but it'll all be worth it. 
2. Parking! Figure out the parking situation beforehand: When does the street sweeper come? When is trash day? Is it permit parking only? Have your own drive way?... Lucky! 
3. No one ever tells you this KEY factor: HAVE YOUR MAIL FORWARDED TO YOUR NEW ADDRESS! Seriously. Bills and letters will not follow you unless you tell the Post office to forward your mail. Thank me later. 
4. Sharing is a space with your loved one is great, but if you're big on privacy and alone time... you're in for a reality check. You're *probably* in small quarters like an apartment/studio so cherish your time outside/work/gym/grocery shopping etc because it's hard to come by once you have a copy of their key. 
5. Grocery shopping will be hard. You're probable used to A.) someone doing the grocery shopping for you or B.) You're an expert on meals for one. You will waste a lot of food because your portions are all askew. You don't need 2 whole rotisserie chickens for dinner tonight and you're probably going to have leftovers for a week and you're going to be sick of chicken and the next thing you know, your fridge smells like death and there's an entire chicken chillen in it's chicken juices ready to be thrown out. Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it. 
6. Peeing. Pooping. Farting and Personal Hygiene become topics of your day to day life. There's going to be a time when you're on the throne and you're fresh out of toilet paper so you text your S.O to bring you a new roll. Boom. S/he now knows you poop. Oh well. They're probably in and around your nether regions in a different intimate aspect anyway so just be adult about it.
7. You're going to fight. Trust me. The way he throws his dirty clothes *next* to the hamper as opposed to IN it. The way she leaves her hair in the shower drain. The way he leaves his beard trimmings all over the sink or the way she leaves her shoes all over the room. It's an adjustment and while doing so, it can get a little dicey but communicate your qualms and figure it out! 
8. Money. Will be a sensitive topic. Who pays for what? Who covers the rent? Equally? 60/40? Who pays what bill? Who pays for dinner at your favorite restaurant? Who pays for groceries?! Adulting is hard. Don't make it harder. Sit down and discuss your finances early on and avoid the petty "I bought dinner last time, it's your turn" argument.
1. My boyfriend and I alternate in paying the bill. If it's a large amount, we split the check. Easy peasy. 
9. It won't be as romantic and sexy as the movies make it out to be. You'll be home in your sweats and smelling pretty ripe after work and your S.O will walk in and then jump right into their sweats and bask in each others ripeness. BUT, it is nice to spruce the place up or spruce yourself up for when bae comes home. Brownie points if you have their favorite food ready! 
10. Chores suck. Chores suck even worse when there are 2 people making the messes. Don't be a dick. Clean up after yourself or designate chores to one another. You load the dishwasher, S/he puts them away afterwards. Harmony people!
11. Your sex life will change. Before living together, if you're open about intimacy, you two are probably jumping each others bones because you don't know when you'll see them next. Weeeell, when you live together, the spiciness milds down a little but that's not to say that it suck and your relationship is doomed. It's natural. You're secure. You're comfortable. You'll get to appreciate each other more in other ways than being naked with each other. So when you are intimate, it's because the urge is there and not the thought of "I don't know when I'll see them next. Let's get a sesh in now."

So whether you're shacking up in the same city you were born in, cities away or even in another state, be prepared for some changes and growth! You'll appreciate little things about yourself and your boo and have a blast living together! 

It's not always easy but it's definitely worth it!