Homestead Checklist

Okay, we're looking for our forever home and that's interesting and very difficult for us. I've been in the military most of my adult life and of course that's required lots of moves. In addition to that I had a very mobile life growing up so I don't really know what its like to live in one place for a longer than a few years. I'm also not sure that we won't get that itch to move again after a few years. With that said, I thought it might be best to make a list of what we'll require for our homestead so that we can figure out where to live after I retire.
1. Low taxes -- no income tax! TN, WA, AK, South or overseas? Really thinking about TN since it's close by.
2. Near a military base -- so we can use the facilities
3. Reasonable weather -- not too hot or cold - 4 seasons
5. Great area for growing -- for our sustainable gardens
6. At least 10 acreas -- so we can grow food and live peacefully
7. Inexpensive land -- we have limited funds and want to live debt free
8. A creek or stream -- so we can have a swimming hole and water our crops
9. Interesting scenery -- beutiful place
10. Nice people -- open to new ideas
11. Lots of outdoor activities -- free fun
12. Medical facilities are important
13. Private but not too far from civilization -- 15 - 20 minutes
14. Alternative energy but access to the grid and internet services
15. Need 4 bedrooms and an office but more than likely will build an alternative home

We need to find a place that meets our requirements some time in the next year or two so that we can go ahead and purchase the land, begin building and living our dream. Wish us luck.

Life Path Journal

This is my book about shaping the life you want. It's a tool to help you develop your ideas about changes you'd like to make and allows you to set forth a plan to implement those changes. I wrote it for myself because I knew that I wanted to make some changes in my life. I needed an action plan to help me keep track of what I wanted and where I wanted to go. If you feel like you need to make some changes in your life, maybe it can help you as well.

Seeking Simplicity

For a long time I've wanted to live a much simpler life, but lately I've felt like life is controlling me instead of me taking control of my life. It's time for a change. My husband and I believe in living a simple life that's in touch with nature. If you've read my BIO, then you know that I'm currently in the military and will be retiring in the next few years. My husband is a stay at home dad and I do NOT want to work for anyone else once I retire. So, we'll have to down scale our life considerably to stretch our money. This is only part of the reason why we are adopting a simple life. We've also come to understand that much of the stuff we collect over our lives is really just an attempt to fill an emptiness within us. That stuff then eats up our time, resources and energy requiring us to manage, clean, maintain and care for it. Finally, my time and freedom is very important to me. I'm very confident that I could find well paying employment for my second career but money is less important than the opportunity to live life on my own terms. This blog is about our journey to simplicity. Please feel free to stop by and visit as often as you like.