Hello everyone!
Is there anyone here who is homesteading in New Hampshire?
I recently moved from my home in Northern California, where my husband and I were developing a beautiful homestead. We had 33 acres in a secluded valley, with a pond, a garden, an orchard, a barn with goats, and some chickens. I was very happy there.
My husband died last spring and the place was too big for me to take care of by myself. I decided to sell it and come to Massachusetts where I have family. I am interested in buying a few country acres in NH and putting together something small that I can take care of myself.
It's been tough to leave home and to be in a new place where I don't know anyone. I miss Michael and I miss my garden, goats, and the chicks I was raising. I am staying with my daughter and son-in-law in a small town near Concord, MA. It's a lovely place but I miss the wide open spaces, the quiet, the wildlife, and the absence of streetlights.
I thought I could continue to run my husband's business after he died but many things went wrong that I did not forsee, because of the way that he did things. As I was packing up, selling and giving away my things, and getting ready to move, I had a car accident that nearly killed me. I haven't worked in months during my recovery. I had a little money from a moving sale that I had before I moved out here. Now that's almost gone.
It has been a difficult turn of events for me. I've been married all my life and I've never been on my own before now. I have to begin anew, and figure out where to go from here. I don't mind doing whatever I need to do, but it's hard to think clearly through the shock of all this happening at once.
I will have some money from the sale of my California property, but I don't want to spend it on living expenses. I want to be able to buy a new home with it, and have some left over for emergencies. I can't really buy something until I have a steady income that can support it. I am working on salvaging our business, but it's slow. I am thinking of looking for a job in town to tide me over.
In my real estate search I came across a tiny cabin on a few acres in a remote area of NH. It was so small - maybe 300 sq ft - that my first question was, where's the bathroom? Just joking! We had sawdust toilets in our last place so I'm no stranger to how to live simply.
Anyway - the price was very low, around $35, 000. I thought about buying this place because the land is beautiful and I could afford to keep it while I work out the rest of my life here. I could go there on weekends for rest and inspiration. When I start making money again, I can start working on it, putting in a garden and whatever else I need.
I could really use some friends to talk to and to give me some feedback. Back home, I am different than my friends. They expect me to find a life in suburbia, like they have, but I don't want that. Even though they are well meaning, their advice doesn't mean much because they don't understand why I would want to live sustainably and free. They think I'm wierd because I milk goats and drink the milk, to illustrate my meaning.
I'm not looking for someone to solve my problems. A conversation would be nice. I might pick up on some points that I'm not taking into account because I'm still in shock. What say you, fellow homesteaders?
Christine