As I sit here typing this there are so many unanswered questions to my current situation. You see, a little over four years ago we were sleeping in hotels, campgrounds (tent camping), and eventually in our vehicles. Having a mind that leans optimistic surely helps living in that type of scenario, but also? I think my curiosity and imagination lent us a good solid hand during those months.
The boys had fun, and while it saddened me that my firstborn couldn’t join us full time, it was a good experience to have overall. The boys learned to cook over fire, yes even collecting wood to do so! We learned how to work together and appreciate the little things.
We went to sleep and woke up with the sun, I highly recommend this concept to everyone.
I could go on and on, but it wasn’t all peachy, there were some sketchy places we stayed and I could feel my nerves on edge. There were times we didn’t have the cash to get a hotel room and weren’t sure what to do, so we eventually slept in our rigs to save and get into the home we are renting now.
With all that being said, once we solved the house scenario and had a roof over our heads for the winter season 2019? We both knew we were not going to get into that scenario again.
Fast forward to 2022, our landlord passed away. We knew he was sick, as he was a pretty good landlord and social. He let my other half know how he was doing and then one day we had a knock on the door for someone who said she was his girlfriend. She was collecting his rent.
The following weeks we ended up meeting his adult daughter, and I believe her uncle. We were told to pay rent to the estate of our landlord, and that they were going to do their best to keep this place. We have continued paying rent and stayed in communication with these lovely people. I couldn’t help but hug that sweet woman, I can only imagine all that she had to deal with. Losing her Dad, but also having to figure out his many rental properties, later finding out most are behind on taxes (including ours).
With all this being said, back in 2019 when we got into this rental house? We knew that 1 we had a deal, just $1500 a month for 2500 square feet of house and about an acre or so on a dead end road. Amazing. We truly are blessed to have spent nearly 4 years here. BUT still knowing that this is a rental, we are under someone else’s thumb. Whether they are kind or not is irrelevant, we are all just human beings doing our best.
So we knew that one day we may have to leave here due to no fault of our own, as we pay rent and water/sewer regularly, but it’s a rental. And nothing is forever (I don’t believe in forever and always being a reliable concept). So we saved money, we budgeted, we bought first – a 1977 Motorhome that I always called our house on wheels.
No matter what happened, we would have this home on wheels so that we would have a generator, solar power, bathroom, and such all under a roof on wheels should the situation need us to leave this home for whatever reason. Fast forward to a few years or two years later, we bought land so that we would then have a parcel to go to should the situation call for us having to move.
So today, I sit here in October 2023 the month that my 1st born kiddo is about to turn 21 and the month that I am about to turn 42 … it’s my favorite season – Fall. And we have to move.
Yup.
We have to move.
Again.
I will say it’s been pretty interesting staying put for almost 4 years. That’s the longest I have probably ever stayed in one place. Ha! I am a free spirit who enjoys the movement, I’ve learned about myself over the years.
And so while our parcel of land isn’t accessible yet, it is being worked on. We have our motorhome, we have our family, and we have our attitudes. Plus, we both have some sort of income. We could be far worse, and we were far worse off about four years ago.
So this, my friends, is why my mind is all over the place. We have some unanswered questions, we have some things to figure out, and we have a heater to put into our motorhome this week, too! For winter is coming and while our road should be done in time … it’s not a guarantee for we are waiting for the weather to cooperate out there so the driveway/road crew can get the job done safely.
I will say that I am grateful for everything and each day is a new experience that I get to learn from. If you know me, I don’t mind living wild and with the boys being almost an adult and 15 … it’s a little easier than having preteens or toddlers around. This too will lead to a new adventure that you’ll one day read about in my book.
But for now, I bid you farewell on this fine morning as I go on the search to check off some things that need checking before we move …