I can breathe easier. Not just metaphorically knowing that we have security of tenure here, but literally. It might seem like small stuff, breathing freely, but it's priceless.
You might remember I first mentioned that I was having occasional trouble breathing back in 2010. So, I never actually got it checked out. I pretty much knew it was down to living in cold, damp places, and there wasn't much to be done about that until I could buy a house of my own.
I'm pleased to report that owning a house has made a huge difference on that front. Breathing has not come this naturally to me in years. Even on brisk walks outside in the thick of winter. Even overnight.
Sometimes (not always, I grant you, especially through the colder months - but still much more regularly than never) I wake up in the morning and find myself breathing comfortably through my nose, rather than sucking cold air desperately through my mouth.
It used to be that the only time I didn't struggle to breathe overnight was in nice hotels, or overseas in warmer climates. But otherwise, I was never able to breathe solely through my nose at night; I just couldn't get enough air that way.
I haven't had the flu this year - and I always get the flu each winter, which usually knocks me out for a few days.
It's hard if not impossible to quantify good health. How much damage has 10 years of renting already done? Renting for life might not have actually killed me, but it would've taken its toll.
