Friday, May 05, 2017

A Slight Lurch In The Right Direction

So the relocation plunge may be accelerating slightly faster than I had anticipated.

I spoke with The Ravishing Mrs. TB two nights ago about it.  To be perfectly honest with you, I think she may be more fed up with the whole thing than I am at this point (which is saying something).  Yes, traffic is appalling and yes, in two years our traffic patterns should reduce once again when Nighean Dhonn is finished with her current school and we only have one school to drive to - but that does not fix the underlying problems that exist here.

What does that mean?  It means a minimum of 6 years suddenly shifted to 2 years.

That includes a number of assumptions of course, like college will continued to be covered and I can find a job somewhere else if needed (and in all fairness, in two years I should have a much clearer picture of how my current job is going) - or I figured out something else that can support us somewhere else (unlikely, but possible).  It also assumes that the economy here will stay at or above what it is now such that our home value will give us something when we sell.

But it is important because it can help to frame discussions, about what we have and what we do.  Certain things - like continuing to reduce debt and become more frugal - take precedence as a required item (that ship is turning - slowly, but it is turning).  Actually setting aside and saving money specifically for the purpose of (ultimately) not having to work becomes an item of discussion.  And a discussion about what we have and what we need also becomes an increasingly relevant discussion (one I have struggled with for years but now am finally having some clarity about).

It is still potentially a long way hence and fraught with possibles and maybe-nots.  But just the hint of change has a surprising power, a hint of energy I had not anticipated.  Perhaps after feeling being in a rut for so long has left you with few options, the whiff of a different future is enough to waken long slumbering dreams, like the sun on February's daffodils.

9 comments:

  1. I think it's really exciting to plan for change! It is scary too, I have my moments when I see myself serving hamburgers at McDonalds when I'm in my 70's...of course, I want to take every step NOT to be in that position.

    Is there a way to plan a home business? Alex and I are on that route slowly but surely. It might not be huge with regards to income, but it'll help down the line.

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    1. Yes, that image is in my mind as well Rain. And as time moves faster than I can count, time to start planning to prevent it now.

      A home business might be a possibility in my line of business, eventually. There are certain certifications that I need to get and certain experience I need to grab but I could see a road to something to manage the transition from full time work to partial retirement.

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  2. Yup. That can happen. Happened that way for us. One year we weren't ready for him to retire, the next year we are. We had just refinanced our house with the intention of staying in NC for another two or three years at least; then we were in full on let's get stuff moved to Louisiana.
    Good luck to you and God bless you in these plans.

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    1. Interesting Linda. Was there a particular event that made the change, and did you come to it together or separately on your own and suddenly realize you were both thinking the same thing?

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    2. We started discussing it about 2008, really, after his brother offered to sell him the family farm (I use the term loosely because it hasn't been a farm in decades). Since hubby was working Civil Service for the Navy, he told me about certain things that would have to fall into place. One came up about 2010, but we both agreed we weren't ready. Then another opportunity came up suddenly in late 2011. He had been having more health problems, and with changes in the military, he decided the time was right and I agreed.
      So it was mostly his decision; but we discussed it a lot over the years.

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    3. Thanks for sharing. This is part of a slow motion ongoing discussion here as well. There are some things I can plan for; the others will simply take God aligning the correct things in line. Which He will, of course in His good time.

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    4. Amen to that. As He did for us. :)

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