IT'S YOUR CHOICE!

Yesterday it was one year since we came out to the country and looked at the property we now own.  We knew nothing about the town and community, going strictly on what we read on the relator's website.

It was a beautiful warm day, and we really had no expectations of buying a rural property.  We had looked at many rural properties over the years, with hopes and dreams of someday moving out to the country, but we had never found a property we liked enough to make the major life change.

A couple of things were different this time.  I had lost my job, for the second time in three years.  I was disillusioned and burned out from working full time all my life, and I was really looking at finding something completely different from working in the health care field.

What I really wanted to do was retire completely, but we still had a mortgage, loans, commitments.

So we came to look at the home and property thinking it would be just another place to look at after a nice drive, and then we could stop and visit with some extended family on our way home - making it an altogether lovely day!

We arrived in town early, so we drove around town and checked out the area.  We were impressed with how nice everything looked.  We found the house, parked the car and introduced ourselves to the realtor who was waiting for us.

There were some family members of the elderly lady who owned the house working in the yard, cutting grass, trimming trees, planting flowers, and it was nice to see that someone was looking after the property.

We walked through the house three times, and spent almost an hour checking everything out.  We saw the positive and the negative, we talked money, and we decided to leave without making an offer.

On the way home we talked about nothing but the property, and by the time we arrived back home  two hours later we had decided to make an offer on the property.

We surprised many people  - no more than we surprised ourselves.  Our son decided to buy our home, so we didn't even have to list that property.  Six weeks later we were in the car moving to the country for good.

When I look back at the whole experience now, I find that the details are not there.  I have always believed that the whole thing was guided by a hand, not our own.  It was meant to be - and so it was.

I am not one to go on blind faith - most everything I have done in my life has required an abundance of thought and even angst, before I have done it.  Not so this time.  This time I let myself be led through an experience that when I think about it now, should have given me many sleepless nights, but in truth it was the easiest and one of the best decisions ever made.

In 6 weeks time we will have lived here a year.  Are we happy?  Definitely!  Was it a good decision?   The best!  Would we recommend doing this to anyone else?  Only if something like this is what you really want - but what I would recommend is that if you have lived all your life doing something and you want or need a change - if you know what it is you want, and you want it with all you are - then do it!  Have the confidence that you CAN do anything you want to do.  Make it happen - you won't regret it.

We look forward to many many years here.  I know that as long as we have each other, our health, and that loving hand guiding us - we will be fine.

The day after we had seen this property - I received a job offer.  I did have a choice.  I turned the offer down - and chose a new life.  I chose right!