Less Space and City Living Makes for Closer Relationships

My husband Steve and I were talking last weekend about the changes we've been noticing since moving into the city and condo living in the past few months.

For starters, Steve and I are enjoying more "date nights" together.  Instead of having to plan a night out, we now have the luxury of stepping outside our building on a weekend night and walking to a nearby bar for a drink or enjoying the night life going on around us.  Last night we walked a couple of blocks to the Dakota Street Festival on Nicollet Mall.  Music has always been a big interest for Steve and I and we were lucky enough to experience a new band called Davina and Vagabonds (http://davinaandthevagabonds.com/).  Check them out!  It was perfect music for a hot humid night in downtown Mpls.  It was great to see so many people downtown, all ages and backgrounds, enjoying the music and the beautiful city around us.  Best of all, it was free (except for our beer) and we walked!

In any case, Steve and I are enjoying some much needed simple fun time together by exploring the nightlife around us.  Can't wait for our next little adventure.

We have also noticed that we've been spending more time with our kids.  One of my big fears of moving into a condo was that our kids wouldn't be able to run outside whenever they wanted.  They were so used to running out the front door, down to a neighbors house, or just hanging in our backyard.  I was concerned about our lack of yard and their inability to just pick up and run outside whenever they felt like it.

Although it's been a bit of an adjustment, the kids have made the transition unscathed and an added bonus is that we've noticed that we are spending more time with our kids.  We were a close family in our previous home but spending more time together within a smaller space has increased our communication with one another which is always a positive.  As my kids begin to enter their teen years, I want to create an environment where we can have honest and open communication with each other.   Obviously this can be done in any home, big or small, but I think the increased time together in a smaller space forces more communication.  Not to mention, with the diverse situations we run into in the city (just walking down Nicollet Mall) has prompted some great questions and subsequent discussions with my kids around homelessness, poverty, disability, and mental illness.  These experiences have brought forth and shown me the compassion both my kids have for other people.