I’ve been trying to figure out where to start this post, but I’m having trouble. There are so many thoughts bouncing around in this head of mine and they refuse to settle down into organized sentences. Let’s see if they’ll fall out into an un-sorted list:
- Seeing everybody for the reunion was AWESOME! We enjoyed that a lot
- Erica, can you go in and write up the notes that we decided at the meeting?
- Justin and I decided that we really, REALLY love the mountains and we’d like to live there.
- We’re currently working on a 2 year plan to move to the Smokies.
- 2 years is the goal because that’s how long it’ll take Jessi to finish grad school and we want to be around her as long as we can.
- She doesn’t plan to stay in this area after she’s done, but we’re not sure where she plans to go.
- It’ll also take us that long (at least) to work off our debts and build up some money
- We’re thinking of buying property with a good amount of acreage
- I want goats
- He wants ducks
- We’re not sure if we’d buy land and build or buy a house and improve it or what, but because that’s still a long way off, we’re not worried about it too much.
- We have a lot of work to do to get our finances in line and that’s going to be out biggest push for a while.
- Our friend Julie would move with us because she said “it’s either there or back to Wisconsin. But mountains!” We’ll see if her opinion changes between now and when we actually move
- We’re looking at areas first that have a Costco because Justin has a lifetime membership and because the amount we could save by shopping there is actually kind of impressive
- So far, of the 4 towns that have a Costco in the mountains between northern Georgia and southern Virginia, Chattanooga, TN, is the city we like the best. It’s not decided yet, but there are a lot of things there that we like so far.
- Nathan and Amy, that’s like 2 hours from you. The boys could all get together and play cards pretty often!
- We haven’t written up our formal goals and stuff, but I’ll be working on that here soon.
- Meanwhile, I’m reading up on what it’s like to live out in the country, because my understanding of it as a kid is completely different from reality. 🙂
- Like what does living on well water and having a septic tank actually require?
- We won’t be rushing into this. We’re doing a lot of research and planning our finances and trying to be as responsible about this a possible.
- On the other hand, we’re both SUPER EXCITED about this and keep fantasizing what we’d like it to be like.
- And that’s why it’s a good thing we’re taking it slow….
- We’ve also realized that we’re kind of fat and lazy and we’re working on that by taking at least a 3 mile walk every day.
- We’ll make that a jog as soon as we’re actually physically able, but that won’t be for a while, at least for me.
- I’m also evaluating what exactly I want to do with my career because I’ve mostly just been floating from one opportunity to the other, but maybe if I figured out what I’d actually like to do, I might be more happy doing it.
- Justin’s also looking at the same sort of thing.
So, there’s lots going on, planning-wise. I have to sit down and make formalized plans soon because we both do better when we have firm goals established (and published on the fridge). More information will be coming as soon as I’ve got more information.