Yes Virginia, the Grass is Greener …

More than a month has passed since we cut the tether from our stick house. We have been staying at a very scenic RV park by the lake. We are hanging around the edge of metro Atlanta while my current job continues. Our next big step will be to exit my full time job for other possibilities. Oh yeah, that is a big step for me. I am very comfortable where I currently work. I have been there 7 years and I have plenty of work for the foreseeable future. But, we want to travel across the United States, so I need to find a way to replace that income, at least a fair portion of it.

Now, that anxiety will always be there. But, I have to examine how far we have come in just a few months. We were able to save enough money to buy our RV. We sold all of the things that were holding us back. We transitioned out of our stick house and now we can just step out our front door and be in nature. That is quite a change in a short period.

I realized the other day, as I was talking to a co-worker, how different we are than most people. I mentioned that I went fishing the afternoon before and she stopped me. “Hey wait! Did you say that you went fishing on a Tuesday?” Staying a couple hundred feet from a scenic late does give you that advantage. I then remembered that most people (and formerly us) have to wait until the weekend to enjoy recreational activities. 

 

 The work week is bondage for most. Even most of your weekend is taken up with activities that you were too busy to do while you were working, further cutting into your recreation. No wonder so many people are burnt out. This year has been especially tough on people in Georgia. It has rained most weekends this summer. The weekend plans have been quashed for many. Fishing on Tuesday is a huge mental advantage.

A good place to fish on Tuesday or any day

The lifestyle change and decisions we have made are worth it. For the first time in our lives, we are on the side where the grass is greener. When I get home from work, it is like a mini-weekend, every day. Of course, it would not be as enjoyable without Kat here to partake in it all with me. She handles the little things during the day (laundry, housekeeping, etc.) that make it possible to jump right into enjoyment when I am home. I cannot emphasize enough how important her contributions are.

Free time is more valuable than I could have imagined. In the last month, I have been able to spend quality time with our dogs and work on their training. Zorro no longer requires a leash. We still keep it on him in public places, but it is good to know that if I drop the leash, he will stay close by.  Now, I want to start teaching him to catch a frisbee. Nova nearly has her small dog aggression under control. I have also taken some time to learn some Spanish.

Worth the extra free time

I am sure that this lifestyle is not for everyone. I wish we had embarked on this journey years ago. But we were not in the mindset to even consider such a thing. But now we feel more free than we ever have in our 27 years together.

Giving Away the Farm - At Least the Stuff on the Farm

Hello, Kit here.  The countdown is now at 6 days.  It is Sunday night and and Kat and I are winding down after a dizzying weekend of accomplishments.  It is amazing to me how much a couple can collect during 27 years of marriage and how much work it is to get rid of it.

Tomorrow, we are closing on the selling of our stick built house and will be moving out at this coming weekend.  The weather finally cooperated.  The last few weekends were complete washouts, so we could not get to clearing out the back yard, which so desperately needed it.  It would have been preferable to work on that over a few weekends, but it wasn't meant to be.  So, we are now up against the deadline, but that seems to be when we get truly motivated and get the work done.  Even if it meant working 18 hour days to get it done.  We also had to get the 2 cats to the airport Saturday morning for their flight to Seattle.  So, here is how or weekend went:

Saturday

• Took the cats to the airport to fly to our daughter and husband in Seattle
• 2 truckloads to Goodwill
• Emptied food storage.  We had a full walk-in pantry.  Tossing anything close to out of date and distributing the other to charity.  This was a 4 hour chore.
• Completely emptied the kitchen cabinets

Sunday

• Cleared backyard (we formerly had chickens and rabbits and associated equipment) -5 hours

We still had a considerable amount of useful stuff to get rid of.  Kat put a "free" add on Facebook and Craigslist.  The response was overwhelming.  In a few hours we gave away:

• A worn, but comfortable couch (it only weighed about 4 million pounds)
• A microwave and cart
• 5 full tubs of books
• Book shelves
• Gas grill
• Dishes, coat racks, pots and pans
• Clothes, sheets and other miscellaneous items

I have to be honest, when Kat gets going and in the mode, I cannot keep up with her.  She puts it in another gear and leaves me in the dust.  She does a good job of keeping me on track as I tend to get distracted.

So, now it is after 10 PM on Sunday.  I am using this time to write down my thoughts and wind down.  We still have too much to do, but at least we can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  The tunnel to new adventures, that is.  It is going to be such a relief to shake of the burden of our house and all of the stuff that has held us down.

It is interesting that when we talk to people and tell them why we are getting rid of everything, they do not think we are crazy.  People are taking notice and it is getting their wheels spinning.  Could it be that we are spawning a new revolution?  We may be bringing a barrage of new explorers in our coat tails.  I think that would be fine.  I am of the opinion that our possessions weigh us down and prevent us from really enjoying life.

Last night, after working all day and into the evening, Kat and I took 45 minutes to walk the dogs in the neighborhood and watched some of our neighbors toiling and working on their immaculate lawns and gardens .  We discussed how we spend 40 hours a week working to pay our mortgage, car note, cable, utilities, smart phones, etc. and then dedicate our weekends to prettying up our yards, several hours a week cleaning the inside of our homes and hope to catch a few moments of time for ourselves.  That was us, too.

We are about to move out of that cycle into a new cycle of attempting to enjoy each day first, even if it means having less material items.  But, the path to get there is not easy, as we have found.

Thanks for taking a few moments to read my rambling.

Until next time - Kit