Traveling > Remodeling

October 27, 2018 — by Per Christensson

PC.net has been around for almost 20 years (including the Sharpened.net days). In that time, I don't know if I have ever gone three months without an Editor's Update, but it has been almost that long. The good news is that I have been continuing to make updates in the background, including additions to the Help Center and Extensions pages. I've been keeping the monthly tips going as well. So don't worry — I haven't completely neglected PC.net the past three months.

So what's the reason for my absence? Primarily, I have been working on my first home renovation project since I moved into my house nearly ten years ago. The entire project was supposed to be done over a month ago. Everything has taken substantially longer and cost significantly more than what I was initially told. And the work that has been done so far has been poor quality with no attention to detail. It has been one of the most frustrating experiences of my life.

But the thing I am most frustrated with is how much time and energy this project has sapped from my life. It has consumed my free time, my work time, and a fair amount of my sleep time. I am constantly on the phone with contractors, designers, and suppliers talking about things I don't even care about. At least not anymore.

While I have been overwhelmed with frustration, it has made me glad I waited almost ten years to get myself into this mess. For the past nine years, I have lived in a house with many things I wanted to change, but didn't. It was good enough so I didn't make the effort. Instead, I used my time and money to travel to different places around the world. My house wasn't perfect but I didn't really care.

Only now that I am completely in over my head with this renovation process have I realized how self-focused I've become. For months, I have been thinking about my house and all the decisions I have to make about my stuff. It is a burden I haven't had before — and I'm grateful for that.

I used to want a big fancy house but now I'm glad I don't have one. Experiencing new places, discovering new cultures, and meeting new people is far better than choosing paint colors, looking at flooring options, and deciding on window treatments. Hopefully, this seemingly never-ending project will end soon so I can get back to traveling — and maybe post some more frequent PC.net updates as well.