Blink

I blinked, and just like that two months were gone.

Two months ago, a bit on a whim (If you’ve been here awhile, you’ll recognize this theme), we decided to sell our house.

A multitude of reasons went into the decision and I am sure that I will write about them in the coming months, but it was a good decision. Other than the timing. Our daughters were just about to arrive for the summer, school was almost out, we were aligning our schedules to one of my businesses so we could really crank it up with a steely focus. And just like that, we hit the pause button. On everything.

We began working with a ferocity dedicated to emptying the house we had just filled, packing and cleaning, and noticing all the things you notice when you’ve decided to leave your home of fourteen years. Repairs were made, contractors called. Frustrations and successes and celebrations. Shew!

And now it’s been listed for three weeks as of today.

You forget how much time actually goes into the showing of a house. People want to see it at all hours regardless of whether that is convenient to your schedule or not. Dinner plans? Never heard of ya. Oh – and I work from home, not just for me, but for my corporate job too. So there’s that added layer of fun. However, I have met the library in the town to which I will be moving and it is rather lovely, exactly what I imagine when I envision a library – unlike my current library which is rather utilitarian and cold. I have had the opportunity to explore and find all sorts of neat like parks and activities I never knew were there. I am getting really excited about the move.

Oh yeah, the move. My first since 2002 but my 45th in my entire life. I was hoping to only have to move one more time – straight into the RV that has been my plan for the past six years or so. Yes, RV. Airstream to be exact, though recently I’ve met some people who lived in their Airstreams for awhile and they had some other suggestions. I’ll be accepting those suggestions at a time when my brain can handle the details. More on all of that later. It’s a fun story. I should definitely tell it.

Blink.
And the summer is gone.

Blink.
And the plans for a particular fall trip are gone.
(I needed to pay for the trip out of the revenue from work I ended up putting on hold for this life change)

Blink.
And the kids are one summer older.

Blink.
And another chapter in the book of life closes.

I was scrolling my socials briefly this morning and see the kids that have been my son’s schoolmates and friends since they were infants. Their changes and growth, their upcoming expeditions. And in some ways, I am sad. I was looking forward to seeing them all graduate together. Mostly because I had that. I changed elementary schools often, but I started school and ended school with the same kids. And many of us are still in touch – the way only small town kids really stay in touch. I was looking forward to college experiences, girlfriends, boyfriends, marriages. I had visions of parties in my current (very large) back yard. But that isn’t how life works out. He isn’t friends with many of those kids anymore, they’ve grown apart. some have become the antithesis of friends, a few have even become his bullies. Sadly. It’s painful when that happens. I remember the feeling well. That growing apart can feel like your heart has been ripped out. And when you suddenly become an entity that thinks differently than your friends do? Former friends become derisive in their interactions.

Blink.
And that’s how life goes. We grow apart. Ebb and flow.

We know we have made the right decision.

We are looking forward to new schools, new neighborhoods, new friends, new experiences. And even a reconnecting with old friends. We’ve had some of that too. People whose company we really enjoy and who enjoy ours, reaching out to interrupt our busyness and remind us to visit. (Much Gratitude)

We are looking forward to the forced opportunity to simplify. The new house is half the size of our current house. We are struggling already to decide which furniture to choose. Where to place it. Who gets which room. Where my office will be. We look forward to a massive garage sale next year to purge the extraneous unwanted stuff. We look forward to practicing living in a smaller space. I can already tell that the step down from the space we have to the space available at that house is necessary. The more I look at the situation, the more I come to the conclusion that just going from this house into an RV would have been a big mistake. (Blessings)

We are looking forward to living in a house owned by someone else. To simply make a call when something breaks. To have someone else maintain the lawn. For it all to be someone else’s responsibility. But also to have the flexibility to fix it ourselves if we feel inclined. We seem to have gotten really lucky with our landlord (and he with us based on some of his comments). It’s a cute place, in an area where I’ve always wanted to live. Hiking, kayaking, biking, and activity trails within walking distance. We are getting really excited. (Freedom and Time).

We look forward to seeing what’s next after this.

Until next time ….

Blink.