The “Maybe” Big Decision

I’m a planner. I love routines. I love predictability in my day-to-day. It’s just part of who I am. At the beginning of 2021, I created a 10 year plan for the next decade. Seems extreme, if you’re not a planner :) But I’ve always had “something” I was reaching for or trying to get to. Those milestones were easier to wrap my arms around: go to college, graduate from college, get a job, buy a house, start fostering, try for a baby, etc. 

Now that I’m done building my family and my kids are starting to get older, life’s goals and things to reach for have been... different. I have to make a more concerted effort to make things happen. That’s where my 10 year plan came in, to help provide a guide for me - something to work towards and dream about. 

Well, my wonderful 10 year plan - got thrown out the window! Yes, I am a planner. But, I’m also adaptable! A once in a lifetime opportunity has suddenly come up. 

My friend moved away from here last year. Her and her husband bought some land out in the country and moved their family out there. I was in awe that they were able to make such a big change and questioned whether I would ever be able to take such a leap. Last year - while pregnant - the answer was heck no. The pandemic hit - and the answer was heck no. 

A house right next to their property is going up for sale. It’s a beautiful house that sits on 6 acres. Yes = SIX ACRES. When she originally brought it up to me - the answer was heck no. Then... I started to ask myself, “why?” Why no? So, I did what I normally do... I researched... 

• Single mom living in the country 
• Moving from the city to the country 
• What is a septic tank 
• How do you maintain well water 
• What to do when there’s a tornado (this was almost a deal breaker for me) 
• How to maintain wooded acres 

List goes on and on, but you get the gist. I was trying to see if this was a big scary thing that I should never do... or if it was something I could totally do, if I wanted to. 

Turns out my friend’s neighbor is willing to sell the house to me direct sale...! Then, I started getting really serious about looking into logistics: moving costs, timing conflicts, I made a pro/con list, I made a list of things I would need to figure out before making a decision. My initial list: 

1. School / SPED program
2. Preschools / Pre-K programs 
3. Daycares 
4. Moving costs 
5. Timing with end of school and L’s birthday 
6. What I need to do to buy
7. What I need to do to sell my current house 
8. Misc. questions on tornadoes, storm shelters, utilities, land zoning, weather, etc. 

After a few days of letting the idea marinate in my brain... it’s such a huge mind shift from what I originally had planned in life. I started getting excited... and I started making phone calls... and I started feeling like - I can do this! I want to do this! Let’s do this! 

So my *maybe* adventure to move my little family from AZ to MO has just begun!