Yesterday was a big day for the Novaks–we learned where we’ll be living in Almaty! Receiving your housing assignment is one of the foreign-service-life milestones that happens with each posting. It’s important though, because it starts to make the move feel more real, largely because it enables you to visualize the space you’ll be occupying. In our first tours, I was frustrated by our lack of input on where we lived and how it was furnished. Over the years I’ve learned to let go of that and just make the best of what we do end up with. And you know what? I’ve ended up loving every place we’ve been assigned.
This time, we got exactly what we were hoping for–a townhouse with our very own garage and a cute little backyard. Apartments are the norm in many cities, so it’s rare to get a house that’s within city limits (Malawi was our only other time in a house). Ours is very centrally located too, so we’ll be able to walk lots of places, including work. Walkability is something I’ve really come to love about city living! Makes exploring so much more fun.
Unfortunately, I don’t have pictures to share this time, so you’ll just have to wait until we get there to see it. However, it has some notable highlights that we’re thrilled about, including: a sauna, fireplace, three balconies, a walk-in closet, three bedrooms, and a bonus room that we can use as a second family room.
The townhome is around 2000 sq ft, which will be plenty of room for us and the family and friends who come to visit (hint, hint). The layout is a bit strange–it reminds me of DC’s rowhouses actually–narrow, deep and tall. As a result of that design, our townhome consists of five different levels with loads of stairs. Level one is the laundry room, garage and main entry, level two is the living room, level three is the kitchen and dining room, level four is all three bedrooms, and level five is the bonus room. My legs are going to be so fit after we’ve been living here a few years!
