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a
fresh start |
After
years of living -- and loving -- big city life in Philadelphia,
Erin nonetheless decided she needed a change of scenery. Her
company had downsized; she'd just ended a long-term
relationship. So she moved to a
small town in New England to make a fresh start. As she began
the search for a rental, she had a picture of exactly what she
was looking for, "a small cottage with a postage size
garden and a view," in the sort of town where she could
"walk at night safely, take long hikes along the beach, and
ride my bike down scenic roads." When she saw the little
gray-shingled house overlooking a salt pond, it seemed perfect
… until she got a look behind the front door.
Inside,
the house was in bad shape -- dark, dismal, with brown paneled
walls and matching brown floors, plus ceiling tiles stained with
cigarette smoke. Still, Erin wasn't ready to give up the
location -- standing in the backyard, she could watch egrets
feeding in the salt marsh's flats -- so she struck a deal. Her
landlord agreed to buy the materials, and Erin would repaint and
otherwise spruce up the house. >
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