Ahh spring. The equinox was two days ago, but here in Nova Scotia we are in the middle of another snowstorm.
In 2014 when I launched myself into the plan to simplify my life, minimize my stuff, and return to Nova Scotia, I had a business idea for the MBR property where I’m now living. In 2015 when evaluating my savings, I realized the idea wasn’t sound: I would need a lot more $ up front than I originally thought. I decided to save enough to live simply without requiring business income. But that business idea was the spark for why I’m living here and why I’m living in a tiny house.
The exterior of the farmhouse on the property looks different than when I arrived in July—overgrown trees have been cut back or removed, there are new doorsteps, there is a gravel driveway again. After the weather turned cold, people asked me if I had started to work on the interior of the farmhouse. No, not yet.
My mother grew up here. The town of my childhood is a one-hour drive away. I frequently pass by the building that was the old hospital where I was born in 1964. The hometown I couldn’t wait to leave when I was a teenager is now the destination I look forward to for groceries, appointments, and other errands. Yes, I get the irony.
Since early January when I started reducing the noise of excessive worrying and ridiculous to-do list expectations, I often sit in the tiny house and just look out at the water and the trees.
In February, I realized I had been waiting for a lightbulb. I’d been expecting that by now I would have come to a determined and enthusiastic decision about what to do with the farmhouse for the long term—renovate minimally for a seasonal cottage? restore to a four-season house I will live in? replace with a single-level prefab with old age in mind? While waiting for the lightbulb, I was not motivated to do any work inside the farmhouse.
I wondered if there was another purpose for me being here that I had not anticipated in the SLSR plan. After my mother passed on in 2011, I acknowledged that I had some unresolved mother-daughter emotional nuggets that I wanted to work through in the future but I wasn’t ready for yet. It’s part of a cliché storyline but, being back in these locations, stuff is getting stirred up for this protagonist.
There are no big surprises. There are no startling revelations. But the combination of a reflective winter along with a timely podcast initiated unexpected insight into my relationship with my mom. Getting this unstuck is welcome now. And the clues seem right in front of me here.
References and related links:
- MBR: Minas Basin Retreat, the property where I am living in my tiny house. The Minas Basin is an inlet of the Bay of Fundy (with the world’s highest tides).
- SLSR: simpler living semi-retirement.
- Previous Post: on thinking big and small
Claire Haas says
Sounds like you are on the right track in your thinking, for things to move forward for you. Take it from my experience, working with a professional counsellor, even though my stuff with my mom was not what I would have considered “necessary”, it was the best thing to face up to it and deal with it and cleared the way for me… Sounds like you are in the right head space to take advantage of doing what you need to do. Courage!
As for what you do with the farm house, all I can say is that everyone I know who have fixed up a place to rent on airbnb or any other such rental booking site, have never been sorry they did! You can post a place for rent for any length of time, and even block out times not to rent. You would be surprised at how easy and risk-free it is, and you could even rent out your tiny house, should you wish to live in the farm house! You could do your own cleaning, or hire someone to do it. You can set it up however you want, really.
back is the new forward says
Hi Claire – Thanks so much for your thoughtful words from personal experience. Let me tell you, I already have an appointment with a professional on the calendar : – ) That DID require some consideration – whether it was really “necessary” and (the practical bit) how I would cover the expense from my slim budget. But working through this NOW is too important to me. I can talk to friends and family about a lot of this stuff – but I can’t unload it ALL on them. Helping professionals have assisted me in other challenges in the past – so I’ll get a little help on this too. Big thanks for your encouragement, Sheri. As for the farmhouse, I’ll keep the blog updated on what happens there.