When You Forget You Are Living Your Dream

Our family has been going through a bit of a time wondering if we should put our small homestead on the market and move two hours south to be closer to family and also to be a little bit more in "civilization".  Is there any way we could sell our small homestead, use the equity to get a larger mortgage in order to buy a place with land? (Go into more debt????)

We have been asking ourselves if we are denying our children opportunities by not being around a larger population where they can take art classes, computer classes, be more likely to meet mentors?  Or, perhaps I just have a bit of wanderlust; wanting to experience new areas.

Another reason we have been considering new options is because of the demands of our business on me.  I worry all the time that I am not meeting the needs of our children - being fully present, keeping up with creative activities to do with them and supporting their interests (educational opportunities that arise organically).

My brain is so often consumed with our business because I am the one that does the online work and that is the source of our income - presently the only source.

Finally, despite our business growing by huge percentages the last three years, it still seems as though we are just getting by.   I am grateful we can pay our bills and eat healthy food, but there is nothing leftover to save for the huge list of needs (sawdust collector, table saw, wood stove, new roof, car repairs, fuel efficient car, milking stand, baby buck) and wants (cure that wanderlust and visit family more often.)

So Mike and I have been considering what our options are - do we go back to him having a "regular" job and move to central Vermont?   That option isn't making a lot of sense though as it really goes against what we have worked so hard to achieve.   It can seem alluring to be around “culture” more – to be able to browse bookstores or sit and have a coffee at a café; to visit art studios and attend fairs.  We have even thought maybe we should just buy a simple house in a small village town .

But, what would we be giving up?

Our business does allow us time on our own terms.  If we can afford to take a day trip or go for a hike or attend a homeschool event – we can do it.

The satisfaction of working with natural materials that are most readily returned to the earth feels good to us – it feels right.

Our small rustic homestead is on 3.5 acres (the desire to also own more land is on our wish list so that we can work toward being more self-sufficient) – but perhaps we can talk to neighbors (neighbors up here means within a three mile radius) and barter firewood, for example.    Maybe a neighbor wouldn’t mind if we tap ten trees next March.  After getting more than enough birch for our business from the electric line clearing lately, I also wonder that we perhaps could continue to find ways to make our business work. 

This little homestead IS providing more of our needs each year.  For example, we are so excited about all the blossoms on our three year old blueberry bushes this year.

So many wants are “of the world wants” and probably even several of what we consider to be needs.  Working through the blessings and the desires of our hearts and reminding ourselves that we are living our dream will help keep us on this path – a path that is narrow and overgrown – one where I often feel like an alien on planet earth but after considering the alternatives, will continue on.