Keeping the Home Fires Burning

My first trip to Bangor served two purposes:

1. Maine Propaganda: Justin's company has the foresight to know that a spouse (or soon to be spouse) will pull the plug on a relocation if the new job is in a remote, desolate, cold, terrifying place....like say, Maine. So, in the name of family bonding, Justin's employer shipped us both up to the Great White North for Justin's "interview". That interview consisted of convincing both of us that Maine is really a gorgeous place and nothing to be scared of. Luckily, I'm gullible, so I didn't put up much of a fight.

(Disclaimer: I would never, ever prevent Justin from taking such an amazing opportunity and I am grateful to his new boss for considering him/us for the role...just in case his wife or sister or something is reading this.)

Glamorous shot of Main Street, downtown Bangor

2. Rapid Fire House Hunting: Because this move has to happen at warp speed and because we happen to be doing something super important during the month of May (ahem, getting married, no biggie), it was crucial that we begin the house hunt in Bangor the.very.first.time.we.had.ever.been.there. This seemed unnatural to me, but hey, what the hell do I know.

Anyway, we hit the ground running and spent a solid 10 hours looking at the best abodes that Bangor had to offer. Poor Pauline, our real estate agent, had to hear me say "are we sure this isn't jumping the gun!?" like a thousand and one times that day. Turns out, it wasn't jumping the gun and our two fave houses from that trip went under contract while we were literally standing in them. 

I thought this little charmer was the one....Justin wasn't so sure. And then it went under contract while we were standing in the driveway considering our offer.....so long, cute house.

Did ya'll know that when you buy a house in Maine you have to be super concerned about what type of heat it has? Yeah, me neither. I don't even know what type of heat we have in our current home. It gets cold and I jam my finger at the up arrow on the digital thermostat until I hear the system start up (and then Justin yells about our power bill or gas bill or something like that and hits the down arrow....ass). So anyways, I was in complete shock when Pauline the real estate agent informed me that some houses in Maine are heated with...get this....wood. Like actual wood burning stoves. That someone has to fill with wood constantly or you will freeze to death. Clearly, after she let that little Northern Nugget slip I shot Justin the side eye of a lifetime. I refuse to freeze to death in our home. I notified Pauline that she should only show me houses that required no stoking of fire pits.
I mean, really Maine? Really?

After such an enlightening and educational day, I needed a break (translation: lots of red wine) and Justin needed to cure his hangry (hungry + angry = hangry) state of being, so off we went to Giacomo's in downtown Bangor.

Chalk Board Menu

(Disclaimer #2: I love to eat...and I super love to dine out...this blog will be full of recipes, restaurant reviews and carb fueled experiences. Brace yourselves.)

Round 1: I win.

While Justin and I were scoping out the scene inside Giacomo's we came to a joint conclusion that Bangor reminds us of Asheville, NC. I assume most of you Southerners know Asheville and its quirkiness, so when I say that the most common car in Bangor is a Subaru, hipsters of all ethnicities have dreads and there is a microbrewery on every corner, you get what I'm saying. There is actually a very active arts scene in Bangor so the crowd is very diverse in style. 

Bangor needs a catchy slogan! 

Anyways, back to carbs and vino. Giacomo's is a mix of wine bar, pizza joint and coffee shop. Some people were obviously posted up for a few hours of surfing the internet and others were there for a drink - overall, it has a very laid back vibe. We settled on bruschetta and pizza with proscuitto, pepperoni, Genoa ham and mozzarella. Amazing.

The aftermath

So, I left Maine without a house that we even kinda liked left on our list of potential homes. But don't worry ya'll, we won't end up homeless for long - there's a resolution to this story that gets wild and crazy, but you'll just have to keep following the blog to hear the rest!

How's that for engaging the audience??

P.S. If you are really on the edge of your seat then you should join the blog! If you do, you'll get an email with the next blog post the second that I publish it! Great idea huh?? I aim to please!

xo,

S