Our dream…

I purchased a leather bound journal and we jotted ideas down when they came to us.

The first idea was want vs. need. We lived a long time accumulating things we wanted and that is evidenced by the three 16 foot PODS and the small moving truck it took to move it all. That includes a house. We don’t need a big house full of stuff. We need enough space to live comfortably.

We will shift our focus to items of need.

The second idea was tranquility. We hoped to find a property with an outdoor space that was peaceful and serene. A place to escape and recharge. That was our need. Our wants included a beautiful view, a southern exposure and a place for a big garden.

We will find a little piece of heaven on earth.

The final idea was to live simply. We defined that as living life at a slower pace and in a more purposeful way. To accomplish that we needed to consciously choose to move away from the fast paced & chaotic lifestyle that we were caught up in. Secondly we had to become aware of the things that were both positively and negatively impacting the quality of our life and then do something about the negative ones. The result is a restoration in the balance in our life.

We will live simply.

Just for clarification and in no particular order:

1. We are not part of a fanatical group, religious or otherwise.
2. We are not giving up all or possessions and “living off the land knowing God will provide.”
3. We are not in seclusion.
4. We are not “preppers” planning for Armageddon.
5. We are not political.
6. We are not crazy.

We are a family, who has been fortunate to have had this opportunity to change the way we live, kind of like a do over, and make it right. The easiest part so far was realizing we were unhappy with the way we were living and the example we were setting for our kids. The hardest part, by far, was making the decision to do something about it. It was scary and liberating and wonderful all at the same time!

We do not want to rush through this life, so we are going to take things slow and savor it!