When we inked the deal for the HOA house we didn’t know where we would be headed exactly. We knew we wanted to buy a home on the east coast, but since we hadn’t decided on a new home yet, we decided to take our buyers up on their offer to rent back the HOA house to us for a few months while we figured things out.
Moving is a total pain and the last thing we wanted to do was rush into making a decision on where we would live next. And in hindsight, it was a fabulous decision as it allowed us to stay in the HOA house during the holidays and pack up the house slowly over the course of a few months.
It honestly felt like once we had the HOA house sold and we’d knew we would still be staying in the neighborhood for a while, everything just sort of fell into place from there.
The home we had our eye on in the Northeast was still available and as it turned out, the owners of our future {what I’m hoping will be} forever home needed a long closing date. Which, as it turned out lined up with our plans. The HH was able to give his employer {whom he has worked for, for the last 25 years} an incredibly long notice, and The Girl was able finalize the last remaining classes she needed to finish up her degree.
Many of you have asked if she plans to move with us, and yes, she does. After she graduates she will take a gap year {for work, travel and volunteering} and then her plans are to go on to grad school in the Northeast.
We’ve asked Monkey Boy {several times} if he would like to come with us, but so far, he wants to stay. For no other reason really than he is having a BLAST living with his two best friends {from middle school} in their bachelor pad. And honestly, we can’t blame him. If I was in my early 20’s and had the choice of moving across the country with my parents or staying put and hanging out with my buddies…. I’d stay too. After all, I moved out of my parents home at 19 … so I get it. And there are these really cool things called cell phones, and airplanes and long weekends and grandparents who live in the area too.
And for those of you who have asked if my parents are moving with us…. Ummm no. They have their own lives to live and have always been {and always will be} avid travelers. In fact, they already have plans for a long visit scheduled. And although they will miss us, they totally understand why we are doing it. Because they too, also moved away from their families and home state {at around the same age we are now} to live somewhere that was new and exciting to them. So they get the whole “If not now, then when?” mantra.
So. Where do all these plans leave us right now?
What if I told you the three of us {the HH, The Girl and myself} and Lucy are all staying in a 600 square foot furnished apartment {in the area} for the next month? Yep. We are. And honestly, after just two nights of being here, I kind of like it. Granted we are all living out of suitcases for the next few weeks {1 for me, 2 for the HH and 3 for The Girl} because all of our stuff is in storage until we haul it across the United States next month, but hey…. that’s life. It’s meant to be an adventure. Right?
The only things on my current to do list:
- Finish Taxes
- Order a new couch
- Work on blog posts
- Work on the bag full of rug hooking projects I brought along
- REST
The calm before the {gardening} storm. It’s finally here, and I’m going to enjoy everyday of it.
Have a wonderful Tuesday everyone, 🙂 🙂 🙂
~Mavis
Constance Wheeler says
This is one of those sad/happy moments. As I read about your packing up and leaving the PNW, I’m saddened to have you leave us. It’s not like I personally know you but I feel like I do since I’ve been on your OneHundredDollarsAMonth list since August of 2012.
Best wishes to all of you and we’re all looking forward to hearing about your new lives on the east coast.
Love you to all and have a safe and fantastic trip!
Michele says
This is almost verbatim what I was going to say. We will all miss the random chance to see you out and about. Enjoy the little bit of calm before the next adventure. 🙂
Jane says
Love following your adventure! We moved across the country 3 years ago and it’s been so fun! Looking at another move somewhere completely different within a year potentially across the ocean. I’m happy for you and totally understand the “if not now, then when?”
Marcia says
Whee!! What an adventure. It’s awesome that it all worked out. You’ll do great tiny. Gap year sounds like fun.
Yeah I moved out at 19 too for college (nearby at least, two hours away), but never really moved home after the first summer. Then left the state.
Amber says
Look at you go! It’s been fun to see your plucky self-determination take you where you want to go. I’m cheering for you to keep on winning at life! You inspire me 🙂
Carrie says
YAY! So glad everything is panning out for you! If possible, I’d love to see the tiny house y’all are living in for the month.
Linda says
Yay! So happy for you! I just realized that at 22 I moved cross country (East coast) & never looked back. I love it here
RebekahU says
HOORAY! Your adventure is underway! 🙂 Thanks for letting us follow along!
Jane says
Oh my, Lucy could not get any cuter!
Jeanie says
I love it! And thank you for sharing so many of the details with your readers. My husband and I (a little older than you but with unmarried kids) are kind of in the same boat. We are trying to decide whether or not to leave a job my husband has worked at for 33 years and take a new job across many states and move from the house we have lived in for 25 years and raised our children in to a new place. It is rather overwhelming but we too think…if not now, when? I love reading your adventures. One thing I do know. We don’t need the four bedroom, three bathroom, 15 room home we have now! We only ever use the kitchen great room combo, the bedroom with bathroom and the laundry room. We just pass through all the other rooms.
Rita says
You are an inspiration and I admire you! Will you be mainly eating out while you are in the rental? I think you’re lucky to have found a furnished rental for such a short time and one that allows pets. Hopefully it’s nice enough for you all — I bet the month will fly by quick. Luv ya Mavis!
Stacie says
I’m so happy for you and your family and can’t wait to hear all about this next adventure!! Thank you for sharing and I look forward to your new gardening plans for your future home!!
Desiree says
Mavis, I found you well over 6 years ago when my husband and I relocated from Texas to Washington. I give you and another (at the time) local blogger all the credit for teaching me the ways of couponing and frugal spending!
I am happy for you and your family for taking this huge step and living life to the fullest. Might as well, we only get this very one!
I too am living in a temporary apartment all the way in GERMANY! We relocated from Virginia to Kaiserslauterer, Germany two weeks ago. We have two little ones, 3 year old daughter and 6 year old son and two dogs! It is tiresome and most definitely a challenging time to uproot your life and “just do it, because why not?” But you will have amazing memories and before long, you will only remember the good in all of this craziness! Best of luck to you and your family! I look forward to going on this adventure with you and your family!
Desi says
From a namesake, welcome to Germany. Hope you like it here, even though everything is frozen stiff right now. 😉
Mama Cook says
Ditto to so many comments above! Bittersweet moment for those of us in Washington, sad to see you go and excited for your new adventure!
I am so inspired by you! Inspired enough to glean some courage from your example and start our own “mid-life adventure” !(With a logo and all!)
Looking forward to reading all about you new journey!
Gale says
How is Lucy adjusting to all this change? I moved our furniture to the garage to recarpet the living , dining and family room. Out cats went crazy. Their special sleep spots were gone. Took a week for them to settle back down after putting back the furniture.
Ellen in Clackamas says
oh Mavis, like so many others here I am happy/sad to hear this story. I never had the inclination to move very far—been a PNW girl all my life so all these plans to go across country sound scary but wonderful to me. . I wish you all the best and can’t wait to see and hear about all the new situations (i.e. garden, chickens) you will get to have. Safe travels to you all.
debbie in alaska says
This post makes me feel so happy and excited for you! Cheers to this amazing new adventure. My experience is somewhat similar — I left Connecticut at the age of 35 and after selling me house in 3 days for over asking price, giving my work 10 months notice (still have a wonderful relationship with my former employers) and renting a tiny furnished apartment for a few months as I wrapped up the final details, I felt the this unbridled sense of freedom and excitement as I loaded everything I owned into my Outback and basically just “headed west until I hit water!” I wouldn’t change it for the world and it was the greatest adventure of my life thus far! And now I live in Alaska, on the water and get to see whales and eagles and bears and wolves and glaciers on the regular. Life is one big adventure!
Leslie says
This is going to be so interesting! Looking forward to following along.
Sara says
What an adventure!! We will probably be heading East ourselves (from Spokane to either Toledo or Philadelphia) with our two littles & puppy. It is nerve wracking and exciting. My hubby is heading back to school to a one year master’s degree.
Carolina says
Will be so glad to have you here in New England!!! My son bought a house in southern Maine and he is so excited that he will have his own garden–and has invited his Mom (me) to garden with him. I have given him a book that you recommended in one of your posts—and we cannot wait to get started turning over the soil!! Random question—Is The Girl still planning to run the Boston Marathon on Patriot’s Day 2018?
Stacey says
Good for you, Mavis! We moved from Vermont to Arizona about twenty years ago, stayed for 13 years, and now we’re back in Vermont, another part of the state. It’s been an adventure all the way, and we travel whenever finances and vacation time permit to see our children in AZ and NC (was CA). I just know you’re going to love the Northeast, though if you’re in Massachusetts, they get some of the worst winter weather.