We’ve been told we’re brave or adventurous. We know that’s code for crazy.
Our mad meandering of the last ten years looked set to continue for the foreseeable future. Ours is not the tragic homelessness of poverty or extreme weather, but the ridiculous homelessness of an Englishman who wanted to live in America with freedom and an Anglicized American who wants to live in England with family.
In these last ten years, we’d twice given up the comfort of living like normal people – once in Europe and once in the U.S. We sold our house in England, ostensibly to take an extended trip, bought a trailer and “did” Europe, sold the trailer and moved to an apartment in Washington State.
We had a year and a half hiatus with no obligation to hitch up and move on but with seemingly fewer sunny days than could be counted on the fingers and toes of just one soggy person we packed up and hitched up again. The grand plan as we wearied once again of cohabiting 24/7 in an 8 by 30 foot box was to look for the perfect place to live before himself took to the gypsy life for good. We’d (meaning I’d) by no means completely agreed on living permanently in the United States, but by visiting all 48 continental states we thought we were sure to come across an ideal home in a perfect community that was somewhere not too hot, too cold, too wet or too dry, with no spiders, no mosquitoes or other hideous insects, no snakes, no bears, no tornadoes, no hurricanes, no floods, no earthquakes, no tsunamis, no volcanoes, no deep snow, no humidity, no wild fires and had a low cost of living.
Not so long ago an East coast girl from Baltimore and an east coast Brit from Suffolk lived in a chocolate-box-pretty country cottage on half an acre of landscaped gardens in the East Anglia region of England. The cottage was young for an English dwelling, 150 years old but with soft pink rendered walls and a steeply pitched tiled roof it was reminiscent of a cottage many centuries old. With snow icing the eaves it could have graced a Christmas card.
Somehow I let myself be lured into our present nomadic existence. Our house was sold and life as we knew it was packed into storage. I would have scanned and posted pictures of my beautiful cottage garden but they’re all in that storage unit. Still.
Like I said, what planet was I on when I agreed to this?
That was then, 9 years ago. Indecisiveness and too much jet-lag has brought us back to England. We still haven’t bought a house although himself has brought his big Chevy truck to Europe and bought a caravan/travel trailer to tow behind it.
Help.
Suggestions? Please comment or email me on: whichwaynow101@gmail.com.
Hope to hear from you again in the blogosphere – hope all is good for you😊
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I look forward to reading your posts. Your life may be my life when the Sprog is on her own. What a wonderful adventure!
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Thanks Karen. Best wishes to you from a Baltimoron. 😉
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I have nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award
https://mymiddlenameissarcasm.wordpress.com/2015/06/17/the-versatile-blogger-award/
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Quietly jealous. I have the kind of husband you can’t easily ‘budge’ 😦 A mismatch made in heaven. 🙂
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My mother and father were like that. She had endless curiosity about the world. He liked his creature comforts and wasn’t too struck with English plumbing!
You seem to get around a bit. Happy travels to you with the reluctant one.
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I’ve recently found your blog, and I am so envious of your…spontaneity and bravado. I know it can’t all be rainbows and unicorns, cos nothing is, but I wish I could travel around so much…maybe some day, For now I’ll just look through the eyes of folks like you.
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Sounds like a wonderful adventure. Thanks for stopping by.
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It was. Is! Thanks for looking in on me. 🙂
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This all sounds totally crazy. I love it! I’m hoping for some laughs along the way at your expense, sorry, but I think I’m going to enjoy following you …
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You are more than welcome to laugh at my expense, Jenny. Happy to have you along. It’s only by laughing at our disastrous episodes that I can stay marginally sane. 😀
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I’ve read this post several times since you like my latest blog and the same word keeps coming to mind: hilarity–boisterous merriment. I’m sure your life is not always merry, but it certainly seems that the sum total is hilarity. Thank you for leading me into your world.
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Thank you. You are welcome along for the ride. You’ll be quite safe!
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I thought we had been adventurous with our 18 moves around four counties in Ireland and a seven year stint in Spain (four of our moves took place there). You have certainly beaten that. The recession hit us hard with a redundancy, but we’ve managed to get back on our feet in Ireland. A catamaran, a barge on the Shannon waterway, and living in a container home have all featured in our plans at one stage or another, especially now that our youngest is in her late teens.
When we realized that house prices where within our range we (well me, if I’m honest) decided that it might be a good idea to buy an old property to fix up and retire to. So all going well, by mid-Summer, we should be up to our elbows in chipped off render, a garden of weeds and gallons of paint. Hmmm, the catamaran is beginning to look inviting……
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Nooo! Not a catamaran. That’s just a box on two pontoons, isn’t it? Your renovation project sounds fantastic. Of course, I’m not doing the work, am I? I could give you a hand with the garden – do a bit of weeding.
I think we’re close to buying a house. I’m hoping in a year or two our friends will stop referring to us as gypsies.
Good luck with the reno. Will you post about your progress?
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Quite a journey and story you have out there! Never thought of a life like this – extraordinary and yes, very brave. And your old english house was so cute and pretty. Must have been difficult to leave. Look forward to reading more on your life’s journey – wherever it takes you.
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Thanks so much Mia. I appreciate you stopping by and your comments.
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Which way now? A narrowboat! 😉
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I would like to try it! Have you been watching all the canal programs lately?
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I can relate to stuff in storage…missing the nostalgia of family pictures and all the books we love to carry around with us wherever we go. It’s a lesson in surrender for me, maybe one day we’ll have our stuff again…or maybe not…I heard someone say once that their stuff doesn’t define them. Hm. Makes me think, I know he’s right, but it’s a trick to find where one ends and the other begins, for me anyhow.
Blessings on your adventure, thanks for stopping by New Things, hope to see you around more 🙂
Lyn
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Hi Lyn
Thanks for your thoughts. I know I’m not defined by my stuff. I just like having it. Like you I want to be able to put my hands on a photograph or book that I know is somewhere! Likewise my cookery books and cooking equipment. I dread to think what my 10 year old clothes look like though. Yikes!
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Glad to know you stayed here in Washington. We are exploring the region around.
Covering almost all states and National parks must have been great adventure. 🙂
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Have a great time! It’s a beautiful state.
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Thank You! Indeed it is 🙂
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My prom is: “A penny for your thoughts…” How could I not share two pennies with you?
Seriously, your life journey is at minimum enticing and I shall follow it.
Cheers.
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Thanks for the pennies! And you are welcome to come along for the ride. We are in France at the moment and now we want to live here! 🙂
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You’re welcome. Wow, France is a beautiful country and there… la vie est belle! Enjoy!
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Merci beaucoup!
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Je vous en prie.
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Il n’y à pas de quoi.
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I’m afraid I’ll have to go back to English, unless you speak Dutch, Portuguese or Spanish because that’s all about my French!! Lol
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Haha. I was afraid you were going to come back with more French. Let’s call it a draw shall we? Bon nuit. 😉
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What a relief!! Draw accepted! Lol
Sleep well! *no more French*
😉
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WOW, what a story so far. Looks like I have lots to catch up on, oh and I love your old house.
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I did too! Boo hoo. We’re looking for another one now after being gypsies for 10 years. We’ve narrowed our search area down to Europe.
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I just found your blog today and have the time and weather (6°) to stay inside and get caught up. I understand your description of Washington after living ten years on Whidbey Island. I look forward to finding out more about your adventures. Selling that cottage?….brave woman.
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Hi Steve and thanks for stopping by, although I don’t blame you for staying in with me with those temperatures. We happened on 5 deg once in Northern Arizona: https://whichwaynow101.wordpress.com/2013/09/06/frozen-in-place-help/
. . . . and once was enough!
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Wow, the country cottage is the dream! That’s the sort of place I’d like to spend the weekend in on a cold, winter’s night… but you’re adventure is pretty awesome. 48 states… wow. I’m just off to read what you’ve been getting up to for the past 6 years!
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We’re looking for another dream cottage now! Something to come home to after the adventures. Thanks for stopping by.
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Hello! You have very beautiful and interesting blog! I enjoy reading your blog! It is really interesting to me! The best regards! 😉
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Welcome to my world! Thanks very much for stopping by and best regards to you!
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Nice meeting such a tough woman like you. 🙂
You have an inspiring blog and wonderful photos.
Good luck on your everyday adventure.
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Thanks for visiting my blog!
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You are very much welcome, ma’am.
Happy blogging.
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Your ‘young’ cottage home is so charming! You gave up picture post card pretty for points unknown… hats off! We’re downsizing now that the 4 kiddos are launching into their own, and want to visit Europe, Israel and India. Thanks for the inspiration!
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Hi there! At last. Having a little trouble with data and signals here! Thanks for your comment. I’m not sure I should inspire anyone the way things go for us! Best of luck to you with your travel plans.
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I’ve enjoyed reading what you have to say; a times, you’ve inspired me to complete a post, write something I wouldn’t otherwise write, or just see things in a different way. Therefore, I’d like to nominate you for the Most Influential Blogger Award. You can read more about it here. I understand if you choose not to accept (or if you’ve already received the award), but I wanted you to know that your writing influences me. Thanks for everything to write!
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A wonderfully brave woman you are–whether you believe it or not–and I’m determined to take a few life lessons from you. I hope your adventures continue to be rich and memorable. Keep writing, keep posting, keep searching and keep up the great sense of humor. 🙂
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Thanks so much. I needed that right now. Feeling a bit 😦
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Perhaps a quick peruse through all the comments your terrifically supportive readers have posted? That’s a likely way to bring a smile to your face. 🙂
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I’ve just done that. Thanks for the tip! 🙂
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I agree! What planet were you on?? But this makes for a fascinating tale and I am along for the ride 🙂
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It’s been a wild ride though – the UK, France and Spain as well as 47 states and most of the top National Parks. We haven’t been idle! 🙂
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I just found you right now and can’t wait to see your posts. You know, my husband and I are planning something like what you have been doing. And I am scared! haha! We are in our mid 30s and he is really determined that we retire by 40 and not buy a house anywhere since he is considering moving to different places/travel. This sounds really fun, but for a home buddy, obsessive compulsive, traditional like me, sounds a bit too much. Thinking of finances, kids, and other stuff. Such a worrier. But I guess to be able to do that is also like making the most out of life. Experiencing greater things. I might need your advice soon!!! Good lucki!!!
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You might be ready when your children are grown up. Keep an open mind. Adventure awaits. I’ll be here when you want to talk!
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I appreciate it! : ) I follow people because I know I will learn a lot from them and that the are inspiring!!!! Enjoy life : )
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I do, thank you. Every day is a blessing. All the best to you too.
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Wow – sounds like quite the adventure! Great blog!
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Thank you! two circuits around teh US and now off to explore Europe!
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