making plans to 'move on'

We had talked about the possibility of moving when we spent too much on having our house renovated. And now it's time.

I've been thinking about relocating all this time since we had the painting done two years ago. Having to move every little thing as the painting progressed from room to room, emptying closets, was the perfect inspiration for letting lots of un-used, un-wanted, excess stuff go: and perfect timing due to a fund-raising yard sale the youth group had a church. But there is still lots of flotsam and jetsam in our lives that we have no use for and need to part with.

So we are planning to seriously pare down and downsize. It is a process, but I plan to get the house 'market-able' (really looking forward to opening closet doors and seeing: Nothing!). Then we will buy a railroad car and travel. You remember those old movies? The one that comes to my mind is the Wild, Wild West series with the guys who were undercover government agents in the late 1800's. That's the way to travel! I am looking forward to seeing the countryside from a different point of view.

There was some talk upon retirement over ten years ago by the guy who (conspicious conusmer that he is) loved the idea of buying an enormous, gas-guzzling home on wheels and traveling. Having owned a huge RV in a previous life, he thought it the perfect way to travel. The idea of having a kitchen follow one around on vacation has never appealed to me. And I was not prepared to be the one who would drive that semi-trailer sized, unwieldy box in an emergency. With someone else driving, and tagging along behind a diesel engine that tows our home any place we want to go: it sounds like the perfect plan. Like being the 'host' family at a campground without all the aggravating problems of irate customers, sticky children, barking dogs, blaring music, dirt, bugs.

Our portable home will have all the conveniences. Like traveling on a tramp steamer (which has always had a lot of appeal to someone who as a teen wanted to run away and  join the circus), but we don't have to learn a lot of different languages, be concerned about Montezuma's revenge, or worry about passports.We are accepting applications for bunk space. Want to go?

Happy April First....