From Townhome to 5th Wheel
Finding affordable housing in 2024 and remaining integral to my dreams
I have grown to be a minimalist at heart. Only keeping what I know I will use, getting rid of and giving away anything that doesn’t have a use to me. My family started our first big downsize when I was in middle school. I remember how good it felt to all of a sudden have so much space everywhere where there used to be boxes. The garage was actually a garage again, and there wasn’t clutter everywhere shading out the things that we actually used and the the things that enhanced our quality of life.
As the time has come for Kelly and I to move into our new living space, the time for purging has also come. There is a truck sized dumpster in front of our garage with every odd item and old stockpile of trash too big to hide in our grey city can. The garage finally has walking space and organization. The yard has never looked so clean and beautiful with all the gardens. The dumpster is full which absolutely blows my mind, and breaks my heart. It’s amazing to see how much shit we produce and throw away as a culture and I for one am a cog in that wheel. I do my best to only buy what I need, but the accumulation is real and sometimes, you just need to fill up a dumpster and kiss it all goodbye, whether it’s ‘trash’ or not.
Today my writing environment is at the kitchen table, I’m munching on last nights dessert popcorn. I’ve finished some weeding in the back yard and watering around the house. More or less procrastinating this writing. It seems that when I have to write it becomes much less enjoyable, yet I’ll have no problem picking up my journal and writing 3 pages that I know nobody will ever read. There have been so many times through this moving experience that I’ve wanted to capture in words.
I can look back and remember the phase of the move where I was emotionally against the whole thing. I was scared deep down of this big change. I wouldn’t say I was scared on purpose, but the nature of moving out of a house I’ve built a life in is rather earth shattering in some major ways. Mostly good ways but big change nonetheless. I remember focusing on all of the negative things about where we’re moving and the landowners of our new place, the land itself, any excuse I could drum up was soothing my fear of change. Luckily that phase has passed and after a gorgeous day of hard yard work at our new location I feel very blessed and honored to have the opportunity to live in a place so beautiful, abundant and capable of holding myself, my partner and all of our dreams.
The reality of shifting brings in so much newness and allows the old layers of my identity, my routine, my beliefs and my lifestyle to fall away. Moving is like embarking on any big journey, there needs to be trust, there needs to be intuition and discernment. There are so many opportunities for growing and learning. Communication becomes lucrative, even though it always is…. I can feel myself maturing and growing out of the house I’ve lived in for the last 6 years. Almost like this house was the springboard for what’s coming next. I know this next step won’t be the last, and I’m always looking forward to what the future holds, but I know there will be a lot of fulfillment on this new land. Fulfillment that I’ve been craving in the ways of peace, sunsets, the sound of birds and bees, the sparkle of spider webs drifting through the sunlight, the simple fulfillment. Although this may not be a forever home, it will house all of my endeavors very well.
Instead of buying our own piece of land or our own house which were both a bit out of reach financially, we decided to buy a 5th wheel trailer to live in and simply find some land that someone already owns to park it. We had come around to this idea many times over the last few years, but for some reason it never stuck, bigger dreams always washed it away. Yet, the reality of what it would cost for us to start with land by ourselves started to sink in. It wouldn’t just be the land, that’s only the beginning. After the land then there’s the well, and the septic, and electricity, building plans, materials, labor, time. It all became too unrealistic for us at the time. I still look for land that already has a well and electricity, especially now that we have a portable house, that’s really all we would need to thrive.
I’m not sure if I’ll ever stop looking for land and houses online, but I am glad to have our next living situation locked down, and to be able to relax into this next phase of our lives. My goal is to keep my schedule filled with massage clients, build a thriving food forest, tend to my chickens and maybe a goat, and enjoy living further away from the hustle of small city life. This next move really is a lot of dreams coming true. It may not be exactly how I thought, but reality never is, and I’m really okay with that. I’m holding a lot of gratitude for the people along the way that nudge me in the right direction, and the signs that pop up, the mental processes, the emotional growth, and the magic in the way it all weaves together in time to create this thing called life. It is magic and I’m grateful to be breathing in all this magic and creating a life that is magical.
I don’t know how it will go, but I am here for it, trusting the process and trusting myself to adapt along the way and make the most of each step.
The trailer needs a few finishing touches, but it feels like a perfect little canvas for our rugged, simple life.
Thanks for reading and of course comment with any questions, or endearments. I do love your engagement, it makes me feel like I’m not writing into the abyss.
Blessings,
Stella
I love reading all your writings. Your life is so beautiful. What you are experiencing at this young age is what I'm working on in my 50's. You are such a beautiful soul, thank you so much for sharing, Chris ❤️
Stella, I love your views on how to live a healthy and rewarding life. God bless you and keep
you healthy an joyous though out your life.
]Love you.........NINI