 |
| No need to go anywhere when I can walk out my back door and hike to a peaceful spot like this. |
Seeking out peaceful places has always been a major goal for me. And when I met Linda, it became a shared goal. One of our first dates was a 16km hiking and camping trip in northeastern Glacier National Park in Montana.
In the beginning of our time together we continued to backpack long distances to remote areas where there were more bears and cougars than people. As time went on our backpacking diminished, but our desire to be away from the city did not.
Hikes became shorter and less frequent, and after a while car camping became the norm. But we still sought out remote locations. Solitude was more important than services. We enjoyed "roughing it" in our little tent in the middle of nowhere.
In more recent times, since Linda has gone into a wheelchair, travel has become difficult. Add to that our desire to reduce our impact on the environment, and our priorities have changed.
Now our priority is to live in a peaceful place. Home, after all, is where we spend the majority of our time, so home has to also be our sanctuary. An urban environment just doesn't "cut the mustard", as my dad used to say.
That is why we moved from a city of 1 million to a small town in 2005. Nine years later 10,000 people felt too big, so we moved again. Now we live in a rural area outside a town with a population of 2,000. That is just about right.
This is the most rural, and peaceful, place we have ever lived together, and we hope to continue living rurally for as long as we are physically able. Hopefully that will be for many years to come.
I'm so glad you found a place that makes you happy. Home should be a sanctuary, no matter where you live.
ReplyDeleteAlthough we love where we live, it is a rental. Linda and I have always been renters, and it was great when we were more mobile and didn't want the hassles of buying and selling property. But now that we are ready to settle down, renting presents certain problems for us. We think we can save money by purchasing our own place.
DeleteWe are currently looking in the area for something we can afford. When I look at our "Homesteading Wish List" from just before we moved (2014), I can see that while where we are living now is great, it is missing several things we are looking for in a more permanent situation.
Our plan was always to buy our first home here, and now it is time to get busy. Does anyone actually enjoy having a landlord?
I do hope you and Linda find a little piece of paradise to own. It took us a while to save enough and a fair bit of hard work but owning our own home is wonderful. We were forced to take on a 30 year mortgage from the bank as we were first time buyers and I guess they thought we'd need it?! Not quite 4 years in and we have only 8 years left :) that's from simply paying more than the minimum, in fact as much as possible and from living frugally. Living rurally lends itself nicely to this. I cannot wait until we make that final payment.... It's a real focus for us as it's the only debt we have and being free of it is, well, freedom.
ReplyDeleteI crave total freedom. It has been a goal of mine for as long as I can remember. Since kindergarten at least.
DeleteCongratulations of the mortgage - that is awesome. Imagine the interest payments you are saving by paying it off early. Banks hate it when people like you cut into their repeated record profits. Good on you.
I hope you are able to find something to meet your needs, that will also satisfy your desire for a more natural setting.
ReplyDeleteThank you. Nova Scotia is the place we think we can make it happen.
DeleteThis photograph is beautifully composed, the soft winter light is splendidly satisfying to see. Remarkable. Though my little backyard area is in an apartment complex with a fairly busy road nearby, I love it very much. I was just sitting out there moments ago. It is peaceful in it's own way. I love watching the changes and the wildlife that passes through. I love going out there late at night. The planes are no longing flying in the sky, stars and the moon appear clear in the winter. Cars are mostly parked somewhere and not traveling on the nearby road. It gets quiet and so do it. Best to the two of you looking for a forever home.
ReplyDeleteWhat? It is nice enough to sit outside? At night? Nice. It is still freezing at night here, although our days are above freezing, with double digit plus temps in the forecast. Bring it on, I say.
DeleteI took this photo the last time I went down into the back yard valley. I was walking along the frozen brook and looked ahead to see this scene - I could sense immediately that it was a special spot, and a special moment. I picked up my pace so I could get closer, and record the moment.
I felt a wave of calm go through me. It represents everything I love about nature, and I returned home feeling quite renewed by it.
How wonderful that you have a special spot right at home. It is great that you can a) recognize it, and b) appreciate it.
There's a headline in my inbox on an email from Greater Good In Action about how taking a photograph is meaningful. I agree. I love to be outside with camera in hand. In case you are interested and can't follow the link here you can find the article on Greater Good in Action: Science-based Practices For A Meaningful Life. The page to find the practice it called "Meaningful Photos." The practice is basically what you did here. Became interested in the scene up ahead, paused and took a photo then reflected on it. There are many ways to do this practice. This is only a suggestion. I have many photographs and enjoy reviewing them at a later time and reflecting. It is indeed meaningful to me. Here's the link:
Deletehttps://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/meaningful_pictures?utm_source=Greater+Good+Science+Center&utm_campaign=a5fb175ffa-GGIA_CAMPAIGN_2019_02_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_5ae73e326e-a5fb175ffa-51589399