Don't Rain On My Parade

I've been trying to make a video for you all addressing our new life plans... but... I keep going over my alloted 10 minutes. And a nude keeps entering the shot making me have to start over.

Unfortunately I don't have the 4 hours it would take for me to formulate a clear, concise, write up either.

I thought I'd start with my whole thought process but I'm over it. Here is the long and the short of it...

In Spring '10 we are going to put our house up on the market.

Should someone be interested in paying us what we paid then we will sell. We are not in this to make any money... we just don't want to lose any either. At this point because we don't have to move we can take our time. I think even in this market that we should be able to recoup our costs on this house. It's a very nice house with a very nice yard (now fenced) in what is still a very desirable neighborhood (just not to me).

We are then going to RENT a farmhouse with acreage. Or a farmhouse with a little land surrounded by someone else's acreage. We are looking at areas a fair ways out from the Asheville area. Mr F has agreed to commute up to an hour each way (hey we were NYers so really that's nothin'). That distance allows us to get to some pretty beautiful areas which would allow us to draw on the city services (library, park, etc) of another city (Brevard, Waynesville, who knows??) which I may find to be more family oriented. I have always wanted to try living in a more rural setting ever since we left NYC and now is the perfect time to try it. I also look forward to the girls having a lifestyle that allows for more freedom and exploration of nature... and hey being able to see more than 10 stars a night would be good too.

We are also going to homeschool Kid next year. We're finishing out this year (probably) as we've already signed our contracts (and you are legally bound to a full year's tuition) and because Kid is, at this point, expecting it. Homeschooling is something that has been of interest to me (on many fronts) for the last 4 years. I have researched it, thought about it, what if'd it, gone to curriculums... and well... I have never stopped wanting to try it. When I imagine my *perfect* ideal life I always imagine that I'd be homeschooling. I think it will be a better fit for our family and I am very excited to move forward and finally do it.

Both of these changes take us from netting about $50 a month after our living/schooling expenses to being able to save close to TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR. Seriously folks it's a no brainer. Even if it turns out we don't like rural life (rental remember) or that homeschooling isn't a good fit we can always put Kid back in her current school... and that one year off will have given us a decent savings fund.

I'm incredibly excited and nervous about the year to come. And that is a GOOD thing. That means I'm taking chances and risking failure in the pursuit of happiness. That means I'm challenging myself and listening to myself and believing in myself.

I don't want to live my life with these dreams and what ifs floating around only to miss my opportunity at being fulfilled in my everyday life.

And that's not even counting the financial turn around. I can't even begin to imagine what it will be like not to have to worry so much about our grocery bill, gas, utilities, mortgage... not to have everything be so down to the wire.

So that's it in a nutshell.

Oh and I also want to adopt... but... we'll need that 20 grand first.