When in New York, we briefly toyed with the idea of buying a house. Ultimately, buying real estate in the about-to-crumble U.S. market would have been a bad idea, and property taxes in the town where we lived were insane, but it was a thought. While we were tossing the idea around, someone advised us “you pretty much have to live in a house 5 years before you can make any money on it.” That about closed the book on the discussion, because, I replied “there’s no way we can stay in one place for 5 years!”
So last summer we decided to break that pattern, and bought a house in a growing market, where property taxes were low, and committed to living there at least 5 years. Its been almost a year, and with our only potential summer adventure now clearly a no-go, I’ve got to admit that some of that restlessness that we used to feel every 12 months or so that compelled us to get up and move almost annually, is beginning to boil under the surface…
Saturday was a very nice day off, where we intentionally cleared our schedules to unwind a bit from a month of abnormally disciplined living, and just be spontaneous. Sunday, unfortunately, was another day off. Two in a row is way too much for me. And its looking like this summer is going to be full of them.
Maybe for some people that sounds like a good thing, but not for me. This is probably our first summer ever where we’re not going somewhere, looking forward to something, or working toward some big goal. We have a couple weddings, some gardening to do, some visits with family, and maybe a couple little projects around the house. Other than that there are no goals, no objectives, no adventures, no trips, no crazy stunts to try and pull off. Just 3 months of normal adult life. Of being parents, employees (ok, just employee), home owners, casual volunteers and tax payers — and I still have 2.5 weeks of vacation left to use!
This is not living.
There has to be more than this.
Some friends of ours leave to go back to Africa on Friday. Africa.
My mom is off to Chiang Mai tomorrow. I don’t know where that is, but it sounds a lot more interesting than where we are.
I read an article about an elderly couple building a boat in a back yard so they can cruise the high seas until they drop. That sounds like an idea, maybe I’ll build a boat…
Anyone have any other suggestions?
You can find the specs of building a boat in the Old Testament.
You might need to borrow some land to build it though.
Chiang Mai is in northern Thailand- the centre of the tribal region. There are something like a dozen different, and beautifully colourful tribes in this area. A little more interesting than [redacted] but then we also did our years in St T trying to create some roots and stability for the children of restless parents. Can I suggest a week at a cottage on the Bruce or in Muskoka – a great place to build some memories for your kids.
Wow, sometimes I wonder if we really are related. I agreed to be laid off so I could have 2 months of vacation, during which time I did absolutely nothing, culminating with a a week in Cancun where I did absolutely nothing on a beach. I did nothing and it was everything I hoped it could be. Back at work now and saving up for my next chance to do nothing again.
Ya, we briefly considered a trip to Cuba… but then realised that there’s no way we could spend a week on a beach doing nothing. We’d end up going into town volunteering somewhere…
I did nothing, briefly, about 25 years ago, or was that 30? Anyway, I gave it up. I’ll do nothing again someday; in probably less than 25 years from now. But not much less. Highly overrated. Dave and I are not related. Did we mention he was adopted?
You own a house but you don’t have anything to do? How about…
– Build a deck (I just built one on our house)
– Install some home automation. I’ve got my security system talking to my home PC, and soon I’ll have my HVAC hooked up to it, and my basement dehumidifier will e-mail me when it needs to be emptied.
– Get a home energy audit and then go about making your house save energy. http://www.homeenergyontario.ca/stripes_en.asp Or just check out powerWISE for lots of tips from real people.
Victor! Long time no see!
We have a deck — it needs re-staining, but that’s no more than a weekend project.
Home automation and energy improvements are definitely on my to-do list, but for the summer I’m looking for activities that get me away from home — so that it doesn’t become prison-like!
Stop complaining. You’ve got a great spread, friends and family who love having you around, and a beautiful little family of your own to enjoy. So what should you do this summer…? Appreciate it! Cherish all this horrible extra time in your happy home surrounded by those you love.
Ha! This from the girl who randomly got up and moved across the country…