The Beginning of a New Adventure

 

Well, it's official.  This is either a true stroke of genius...or we've totally lost our minds.  The jury is still out, so stay tuned on that verdict! 

Seriously though, so many things had to fall into place in order for this picture- a for sale sign in the yard and a promise of things to come- to exist.  And fall into place they have.  Perfectly. Steadily.  Miraculously even. I'm in awe of God, in general, but certainly of His timing and His hand in all of this.  That is a story I want to tell you more of, but for now, here's where we are:

Our suburban Texas house is under contract (in less than two weeks, what?!!) and now the mad rush is on to purge, edit and organize. 'Does this spark joy' is the question on all of our minds at present (Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, watch it on Netflix- you're welcome), along with 'how are we going to fit that in 500 square feet'?  As we sit in a 2,800 square foot house full of boxes and pack up all of these things we've steadily accumulated over our 12 years of marriage, I marvel at the paradox:  we've worked so hard to accumulate all of these 'things', yet I'm somehow quite relieved as each bag passes through the door. Life seems a little less cluttered- a little more clear.  The process of stripping away the superfluous, leaving only the essential, is foreign and intimidating but beautiful at the same time. 

In Indiana, our new 45 foot home on wheels, just hit a production line scheduled for a January delivery. 

We are overwhelmed by the number of friends, family and acquaintances who have greeted this out-of-the-suburban-box idea warmly.  It's different, maybe even a little weird to some- homeschooling kids and working full-time, while exploring this great Nation in-between.  Maybe it's the forced COVID reflection, or the current tumultuous political environment, but I've been amazed at how receptive most have been.  Even for people who have zero interest in nature, travel or living with less, I think the sense that life on this earth is fleeting, is universal. Our children are only young once.  No day is promised to any of us. [Insert additional cliches here].  As tired as all of those sentiments may be, for us- in this season- they ring true. True enough for us to hit 'pause' on everything we are supposed to want in our 30's to venture out into the unknown together.  

I fully anticipate this adventure will have days that are breathtaking, frustrating, educational, stifling, joyful, claustrophobic and overwhelmingly beautiful.  I'm going to do my best to document all of that along the way; for you- our friends, family and acquaintances- but also for A & E when they get older.  How different this journey will look through the eyes of a 7 and 4 year old!  

Until next time, 

Jess