After the photos of the cottage piqued my curiosity, Cherie and I scheduled a tour for the following day. I was excited, but guarded. Was I about to meet my future home? It could go either way. I could love the place, or despite the charming photos and premonition dream, I may encounter flaws hidden from site. I arrived at the cottage before Cherie and peered over the picket fence entry gate to a paver walkway lined with bushes of jade and birds of paradise plants. The walkway ended at a small cement outdoor entryway framed with a king palm tree on the left and a lush branchy tree on the right. A bunny appeared on the walkway then hopped into the jade bush. Intrigued, I couldn’t wait for Cherie and longer. I opened the gate and walked down the pavers to the tiny gray house with teal and white trimmed French doors and windows.

I approached the house to see an expansive yard to the right and a paver patio enclosed with lattice fencing on the left. A porch was off of what appeared to be the bedroom. The yard boasted five king palm trees and ficus trees lined the picket fence facing west. Off center in the yard was a large tree with sprawling branches, some of which appeared dried out and dead and some were alive with round leaves and fuzzy red flowers. Finches perched on branches of a tall exotic-looking tree next to the porch. Just beyond the end of the line of ficus trees, past the intersecting streets, over the old picket fence, I could see the ocean.

Cherie arrived shortly after my self-guided outdoor tour of the property. She lead me inside to an open living space that connected to a small kitchen with a heart-shaped sink and a 1940s Wedgwood oven. The bathroom was fairly roomy with a block glass wall next to the tub and the toilet in its own alcove with block glass accented walls.

The small bedroom had French doors opening to the porch and a tiny closet missing a dowel on which to hang clothes. The wall opposite the French doors had three flip-out windows that opened inward from the bottom up, but they were barricaded with shelving.

As I sized up the tiny abode that needed some TLC and in which I could only fit a third of my furniture and clothes, I fell in love. The place was enchanting. I had to have it.

When I expressed interest, the rent went from doable to out-of-range. Cheri negotiated a deal with the owners—keep the rent down, and I’d pay for repairs and replacement of appliances. The other hitch: the owners planned to tear down the cottage and rebuild, which would happen in one to two years. I did not want to uproot again so soon, but Cherie encouraged me to focus on the present. And I knew how arduous and lengthy the city of Laguna Beach approval process was. I signed the lease and with that would be moving in two weeks.

Let the packing begin.