Laura Ingalls starts a journal

[2Birds1Stone]

Hello from the other side, come in, the water is warm.

Winter in Mex sounds lovely! A backup plan to SE Asia for us this year.

[ertyu]

Congratulations! An exciting milestone reached

[Frita]

Fellow transitioner here who appreciates following along with an alternative way to navigate the next phase…We share the 18 year old graduate of the last (only in my case) kid, decluttering, and looking forward to more travel.

Mexico in the winter sounds awesome! (We plan to go for a month in Octoberish.) Do you plan to sample different areas or hole up?

[Laura Ingalls]

@Frita

In November we have convoluted flight itinerary. Nebraska to Seattle to Kauai to San Deigo to Cabo San Lucas. No return flight. We thought after Baja we would hit Mazatlan. Beyond that no real plan other than not overstay an visas anywhere.

[Frita]

@Frita

In November we have convoluted flight itinerary. Nebraska to Seattle to Kauai to San Deigo to Cabo San Lucas. No return flight. We thought after Baja we would hit Mazatlan. Beyond that no real plan other than not overstay an visas anywhere.

Sounds planned out enough to me, @LI. I am assuming that you’ll spend some time in Seattle, Kauai, and/or San Diego before heading to Mexico. Regardless, it sounds like a great adventure and celebration of being homefree.

[Laura Ingalls]

House is listed FSBO with me as the contact person. We have had some showings but no offers. DH jokes that the house should always be for sale because he enjoys its current clean and low clutter status.

Not much else new other than I am getting a new tooth ( implant) in September. Kinda excited about that.

Younger son is enjoying is crop dusting support gig. I kinda wonder how if he is going to miss it when he starts college. I don’t enjoy his exposure to so much petroleum products. He comes home smelling of jet fuel.

[Frita]

How’s your house selling progressing? From what I remember, it’s a lot of work to keep a place tour-ready. Hopefully, you will have it taken care of by the time you leave in November.

[Laura Ingalls]

Thanks for asking

I don’t know if it was a lot of work to prep but work l we were collectively not very interested in ie painting.

We also found out that the roof was shot but it was hail damage that our home owner coverage will pay for. We found a contractor and his crew will start early next week.

We have not found this area to be a very particularly FSBO friendly. It has been shown about twice a week during the month it has been listed. We really didn’t want the close until September anyway.

Anyway my mindset varies from patient to impatient pretty often. DS leaves a week from today.

[Frita]

When the right buyer comes along, your house will sell. That new roof should be a good selling feature. I wonder if FSBO increases the emotional component to selling because one is handling everything or if it’s less because one has more control.

[Laura Ingalls]

Dup

[chenda]

Dup

What does this mean ?

[Laura Ingalls]

Duplicate
I accidentally copied my own post and made it a new post with no more information

[chenda]

Duplicate
I accidentally copied my own post and made it a new post with no more information

Ah ok, I thought it was some internet slang unbeknown to me

[Laura Ingalls]

Things are moving along literally.

We have a buyer and a closing date for our house three weeks from today We get a new roof and an appraisal will be done next week.

Younger offspring seem to be figuring out college. I wish his dorm set up was more communal and community driven but he seems to be finding his people in his regular gradual fashion. Found a job, goes to class, and sounds cheerful when I talk to him.

Older offspring has also moved recently. Not quite sure why a single family rental was the choice. I know why he desired an upstairs grade from his apartment. It is going to be a mutually convenient as he needs a mower and a snow shovel just we we need to get ride of them.

[Frita]

Awesome, selling your place and having you kids continue to move through their emerging adulthood will lighten you load. Thanks for the update and reminder to do mine.

[Laura Ingalls]

Three and a half weeks into the nomad phase.

12 hotel nights
4 nights in the camper at my mom’s house
4 tent camping nights
1 Airbnb night
1 night with DH in the dorm with DS2 and me a couple miles away at my brothers.

We have about five weeks before the winter relocation. Not quite sure of the exact plan for that time. Presently gorgeous weather and fall leaves at my mom’s. Farming at my IL nearly wrapped up. DS1 has been helping with that. He is between jobs and I think has another lined up but is waiting for the arrival of some new equipment at the new job.

Observations
Vermont and New Hampshire have a lot of little curvy roads.
I need a minimalist kitchen after a week to 10 days.
Struggling with how much “home base” do I need/want.
Our spending is getting even more erratic although the average seems just fine.

[Laura Ingalls]

Last month or so

12-14 more days in the camper at mom’s
9 Airbnb days in South Florida
3 hotel nights in Florida
1 night in old friend’s

DH has been at his folks and I have been at my mom’s the last three nights.

DH’s younger brother died (he was 51). He has been there helping with things there. We rolled in the night before the funeral. He has stayed and is currently helping de-horde the deceased’s house.

[Frita]

I am sorry for your family’s loss. Non-full life span deaths can sometimes bring up different challenges. I imagine that witnessing and/or manually clearing the horde triggers some ERE-related connections. How are you doing? (My intent is to offer space and support based on care. No pressure, no expectation. DM is okay.)

[Laura Ingalls]

@Frita
He died of cardiac arrest which was the function of a long standing alcohol use disorder. While it was sudden it was not a surprise.

I think we are both doing pretty good. It is reliving to know that he is not in pain any longer. Many mixed emotions.

There is strong potential for future fracas about something. His house seems a likely target as my MIL thinks it should stay in the family. The single heir is his presently minor child. I hope he is not railroaded into keeping it despite the fact that it is hundreds of miles away from his current first choice of college.

[Frita]

I am glad to hear you are both well, aware of the conflicting emotions and accepting things as they are. From my experience, I find that it is an easier cognitive construct that can be tricky to do. Kudos for recognizing the drama triangle that could be brewing and preemptively disengaging.


I won’t burden you with more questions. Following along…