Every time Bob and I go on vacation we also feel like we are doing a recon. We check out neighborhoods. We look through newspapers and bulletin boards. We check websites like Zillow and we pull brochures from houses with for sale signs. YES! We still always talk about moving.

One thing I am very firm on is that we will never sell the property we live at. As long as things don’t change too much here that is. So, because I’m firm but flexible, it’s always nice to “kick over rocks” as Aunt Bridget says.

If you know us, well, you know we have had many times we were all in to a place. We were going to pick up and move. We researched, we dug, and we were about to leap…..and then we realized we love our home too much and all the pros here outweigh the cons by far. And some things we are just NOT WILLING to part with (like the privacy we have here that gives me a sense of safety).

This road trip was no different. Every day I kept a log of each stop we made when we got the kids out to play, and each town we slept in. In a separate column we wrote down towns we were charmed or smitten by, and we researched and dreamed. We found some incredible place along the way – Toad River, B.C. anyone?, Wapiti WY, Ibex Valley, Yukon?! – you get the point. If you did a quick research of these northern areas you may see we have a type when it comes to our living environment.

But just as quickly you may notice the prices in these place. How on earth does anyone afford a 3 bedroom house that costs $925,000….and with NO YARD. How did it end up we live in such a beautiful and pristine place. Going on vacation (especially a long one) makes you so thankful to be home.

When I opened our door, I thought I truly couldn’t live in a better place. Our tiny home, that seems huge after being in the car and hotels (we left the pop-up in Missouri) has minimal issues when it comes to house maintenance. It sits on a beautiful landscape with plenty of room. We live very close to the beach, relatively close to the mountains and in the country but not too far from a town and with a great community of people around us. How fortunate we are.

How could I ever find a better place? Is this my forever home? Will our family ever live somewhere else? I don’t know. I’m open. But I am so happy to be home.

Merry Christmas