[Meg Z]

The last several times I've talked to hubby, he's brought up the idea of us moving. I know where part of this is coming from. We're military. He's been in just shy of 30 years. His dad and my dad were both military. We grew up with the lifestyle, and have lived it as adults. The Army moves you about every 3-4 years. We've been in this house four years now. He's starting to itch, and I must say, I feel it too.

On the other hand, we've put a lot into this little place. It's all fenced and cross-fenced now. There are fruits and nuts planted, livestock shelters built, and, and, and.... We've got a lot of sweat equity in this place.

Moving would be a bit of a pain. Since we bought this place and considered it our retirement home, we've allowed our natural scrounging habits to bloom. In addition to regular household and homestead stuff, we have pallets of brick, block, slate, boxes of pea gravel, railroad ties, landscaping timbers, rough cut lumber...gosh...even two deep sinks stored in the shop! Lots of stuff to move!

I know hubby has the itch, and it's true we could find a place closer to where I work, and if we go in the right direction, we can find a prettier piece of land. But I'm asking myself if these are 'good enough' reasosn to move. I know 'good enough' is subjective. What would be a 'good enough' reason for you to pack up your homestead and move? Aside from financial reasons. Most of us would probably move for enough money!

He'll come back this winter from his last tour to Afghanistan, and he'll be retired by next summer. I know that's when it'll really hit him. This could be interesting....

Meg

 

[bugstabber]

What about getting a lake cabin instead of moving? Maybe it would turn into a new hobby, fishing, canoing etc.

 

[Alice In TX/MO]

I have a friend who is a retired Command Master Chief with 31 years. His wife had 22 as a Navy photographer. After they had been in their current house about 4 years, they both got the itch to move really badly. They cleaned, re-arranged the furniture, and waited it out. You can recover! They've been there about 15 years now.

 

[GrannyG]

I sometimes think I would like to leave here, but then I reconsider....we have good earth to grow, good water, city plus hand dug wells, the taxes are low, and I have too much junk to even consider it. The drawbacks are.....as you get older, the hospitals are 50 miles away,which is hard to deal with at times. We have a small clinic only. The ambulance is all volunteer and so is the fire department. There is only one store or you drive 25 to 40 miles. I never go shopping at Walmart but some neighbors do, I just don't want to go out of town.Small towns, quiet ways, love of friends...guess I will stay put.

 

[Ashtina98]

Or what about a travel trailer, depending on finances can be big or small. That way when the itch comes on you go somewhere for the weekend without giving up the home you've worked so hard on.

Dee

 

[Meg Z]

Boy, that was quick!

I was kinda asking what would be enough to make You willing to move! I know I'm so long-winded it was probably hard to pick that part out, but there you have it

As far as the cabin or RV...we have livestock. And I have a job. Neither is conducive to doing a lot of traveling.

Personally, I don't mind moving. I've always enjoyed it. If we do it this time, it'd be a bit more daunting. We've allowed our personal belongings to expand in an amazing fashion, which we've never done before. But it's still quite doable. If we decide we have enough reasons.....

I did love the 'rearrange furniture' bit. Hubby thinks he can't walk out the door without the furniture being rearranged before he gets back! If I've got to move it to sweep under it, I might as well rearrange it while I'm at it!

Meg

 

[susieM]

I solve the problem by knocking down walls. Problem is, I now have none left.

 

[5webbkids]

The gift of 150 free and clear acres in South Central MO with a barn and house and I would have to think about packing up and leaving DH! I would visit once a month, or fly him out there.....I love that region of the country!
A bigger boat for him to shrimp might motivate him, but other than that I think we are where we are meant to be geographically speaking.....or soon will be once the dreaded corn is gone!

 

[Pigeon Lady]

Meg, After living in your area - right down the road from you I can't think of one reason to stay there!

Even if the climate had been cooler I just found it to be a veritable wasteland in terms of the arts and "culture".

All the things that interest me were happening in the mountains. Too far to go in one day and there was never anyone to sit the "farm".

Come up here and see the difference. It's a whole new world with many like minded people. There's so much going on in our closest, extremely artsy town (pop. 450) that we could be out living it up every night of the week if we wanted and never need a farm sitter. Lots of world class music.

VA Tech and other colleges aren't too far away.

The only down side is this particular county is pretty expensive, Va taxes your retirement pay, the deer eat everything you plant, and the ocean is a little too far away for my liking. But other than that we couldn't be happier.

(An 8 foot fence cured the deer problem BTW.)

You're welcome to come visit.

Pauline

 

[MariaAZ]

Hmmm... good enough reason to move. We live 1/4 mile down the street from my 84 year old mother so it would have to be a darned good reason. Maybe I could be budged if an absolutely fabulous home with plenty of land & forest became available at a price I couldn't refuse

My dad was in the Army for almost 30 years when he retired. It took a long time for the "moving bug" to quit biting. I thought it was just me; I was in 3 schools in the third grade, and was used to moving every couple years. Many years later my mother 'fessed up that after living in the same house for a few years she and Dad talked about how they "almost missed" moving. They never did, though, and Mom still lives in the same house we moved to 35 years ago after Dad retired.

 

[texican]

"thinking about moving" to a scrounger is akin to waving crosses and tossing holy water on a vampire...

add animals to the equation and ouch... that'd be hard...

It'd take a couple dozen 18wheeler trailers to get all my scrounged supplies moved...


and having an 84 yr old momma, just down the road......nope, couldn't do it, for all the tea in china...

 

[MariaAZ]

and having an 84 yr old momma, just down the road......nope, couldn't do it, for all the tea in china...

Well, if we found that once-in-a-lifetime dream home I'm gambling that I could talk Mom into moving Actually, we've seriously talked about it before and she's indicated she might be open to moving if the place was just right. And of course that "just right" place is part of our ideal new hometown.

 

[Queen Bee]

Growing up with parents in the US Armed Forces, we moved every 2-3yrs.. Parents loved it, we kids hated it. I never want to move again! It's nice to know you have roots! We have spent a lot of time, money and energy in restoring this old farm and hopefully we will be able to build our dream home soon..

After retirement my mum decided she wanted to stay put and pop agreed. Then two yrs later pop decided he wanted to move..They sold and packed up and moved. Two yrs. later again the itch hit... Then three yrs. later the same thing... I told mum to go and get boxes and tape up the empty boxes, rent a Uhaul, pack it up and let dad drive 500-600 miles to a motel and spend the week end and then--return home... unpack boxes, break them down, take back uhaul and maybe the urge would go away! They thought it was funny...I was serious..

 

[bugstabber]

If I had already planted nut and fruit trees, that would be a reason for me not to move. But if you think you can find a place closer to work with the same or better set up, maybe you should look.

 

[Heidi's_Goats]

If my husband could find a job somewhere else I would move in a heartbeat! I am also an Army brat and every few months get that dying itch to just pack up and leave. My husband hates moving but I find it fun. You never know what you'll find behind that couch.

It would be very difficult to move away from our support systems with the kids. Now I just have to look forward to 2 week vacations to New England every 4 years instead. It's almost like moving except when you get back it feels like home.

 

[Peacock]

I also seem to get the moving itch every 4-5 years or so. And we never moved at all when I was growing up. Let's see...lived with DH 4 years in a trailer, bought a house, lived there 5 years, moved and lived in our last house 5 years...I guess we've got about 3.5 years to go here too. Though I swore when we came here I was done forever. I didn't mean it for a minute.

I like it here. I like our town, though it's got its quirks. I like my house and my property. I don't love it though. It's got potential and it's pleasant enough, but it never hit me that *this is the place I belong,* you know? It was right for us at the time we bought it, that's all. I know some people find a piece of property and it just feels "home" but I'm still looking for that. It may be another piece of property in this very town. It may be 500 miles away. Don't know. But I'd like to find out someday.

I used to think it was that I needed to get out farther from the city, but now I know I don't want to be too far. "Exurbs" is far enough for me. You can still homestead in an exurb. I used to think I needed more space. Right now I'm finding the space I have overwhelming, I don't think I could handle any more. I do know I need a place with lots of shade and rolling terrain. That we have, at least. And no stinking homeowners' association.

So, do what we did last time we moved, sit down and write down exactly what you want in a home. Think about what would make you stay in your next home permanently, or plan ahead for another move 5 years down the line and think in terms of resale value. Is it something you don't have now, or do you just need a change of scenery? If you just need a change...seriously...hire someone to take care of the livestock and take a nice LONG vacation in a rental cabin someplace else. If you still have the urge to move when you get back, then you'll know.

 

[CJ]

I have a tough time "planting" my feet anywhere for very long. It's never hard for me to move, in fact I love moving! It's exciting and something I've always enjoyed. Probably a good thing we're in an RV for now... perhaps I'll outgrow it.

We bought 60 acres in southern MO (which is home anyway) a couple of years ago to retire on, but while we've no intention of selling it, I wouldn't mind buying another acreage someplace else, just to have a "choice".

Go for it!

 

[Meg Z]

Ahhhh...texican...but moving would allow me (okay, force me) to go through all the stashed stuff, and see what's really there!

I admit, not that I've said it out loud, I'm finding the notion quite appealing. Which is not so strange. The other military kids and spouses will recognize that the military life usually turns out two types of kids. Those that want and need roots, and those that are always on the move. Of me and my sisters, I'm the only one with the wanderlust. Of my two kids, my daughter (the one who was in the Peace Corps) has it, while my son needs roots. My husband definitly has it. At one time we talked about doing the RV life. Maybe we should think about it again. We could always sell the livestock...

And I say that as I'm headed off this morning to pick up a new lilac French angora buck, and blue doe to add to my herd. :help:

Ah, well...I guess I just wanted to see what it'd take for others. I think when it comes to moving...I'm kinda easy. :shrug:

Meg