This actually snuck up on me in the midst of wedding planning—boy, that’s not a sentence I’d imagine writing five years ago. Life is kind of crazy like that.

It doesn’t feel like it’s been five years of living in my condo; I still remember the air mattress blown up in my living room like it was yesterday. (Thankfully not, though, because I love my couches.) Here’s the full recap post I wrote a few days after officially moving in, and I’m still questioning why someone let me get a mortgage at age 27.

I’m proud of what I’ve been able to do over the years, truly making this place my home. It was my first time living on my own, which was quite an adjustment, but I think it’s something everyone should do at some point in their lives. My parents were super helpful with any homeowner questions I had—heck, I still call my dad and ask dumb questions—and I’ve learned that the annual condo association meetings are great to watch everyone argue with each other.

And then Josh moved in after a year and a half of us dating. That felt like the next step for us in our relationship, and plus he was able to move out of his parents’ house. (When we first met, he was living with roommates but moved back home for a year to save money.) Then we got Cannoli! My mom jokes that our living room looks like we have a kid because there are cat toys everywhere.

I’ve made my second bedroom into a great office space since I work from home full-time, I have books basically everywhere, and my biggest accomplishment was re-painting the kitchen cabinets two summers ago. The condo isn’t 100% perfect, but I’ve made it work over the years, which includes replacing various HVAC systems and large appliances. It was a great first place for me to have, and even though my name is still on all of the paperwork, it feels like a home for Josh and me.

We plan to start looking for a house to buy in the fall, depending on our finances and home prices. Unfortunately, we will be at the mercy of the local housing market, so it may not happen right away and we’ll be here a little longer (me writing that will make it happen right away, and we’ll be scrambling to get everything done). But that’s okay. Cannoli doesn’t mind as long as she can watch the birds from the bedroom window sill.