Plans? We don’t need no stinking plans!

In the last few months we have gone from having very definite plans about where we want to live and what we want to do for work to now having basically no plan at all. Well, not exactly. It would be more accurate to say that we have dozens of half-formed illogical fantasies about what would or could be awesome no real sense of what is most likely to happen or where we will live.

Our plan for a while was to move to Portland ASAP and buy a house. Now we’re wondering, do we even want to buy a house? It has this awesome potential to be a cozy, creative space for us to have our own home just the way we want it, but I’m not exactly eager to focus a lot of energy on finding the perfect place to settle and then investing time, more energy, and all our money into making it feel right. Renting has some cool things about it, like being able to just move if we want to, and travel, and take our space a little less seriously.

I’m still waiting to hear back from the school of nursing about whether or not I can get my clinical rotation switched from Stanford to Mendocino County. I’m really hoping that they will approve my request so we can move up there for a while. I’m saying that I need to do it because of my dad’s health so I can be closer to him, which is absolutely true, but I’m also craving more time in the country. I really can’t see us living there for an extended period of time, but 6 months to year and a half of hanging out in Fort Bragg and doing all the stuff I love there sounds really good right now. Living in the bay area has really made me appreciate my hometown and the land where I grew up so much more than I ever thought I would. I know the opposite will be true, too; if we go back and live there, I know after a while I’m really going to long for the social and cultural stimulation that urban living provides.

So, we thought we had a plan. And now… Are we, or aren’t we moving to Ft. Bragg? It all depends on the school of nursing approving my request. If we are, what then? If not, where else? Do we want to save up money and then quit our jobs and travel? Should I become a travel nurse and we’ll move to a new town every 3 months? Should we *gasp* reconsider staying in the bay area, despite crazy housing costs and terrible public transit? Still move to Portland? Are we destined to find a place to homestead and farm and leave the big city behind? Is there an ideal place for us to call home, or are we more nomadic by nature? Every time we swear to something we find ourselves going back on it and realizing that there are very few things that are really certain.

Things that are certain:

1. We will homeschool both our children until they either want to go to school or are old enough to move out.

2. We will all go crazy if we don’t have enough social stimulation and connection to community.

3. We want to spend as little time as possible working and driving and as much time as possible doing things we like, even if that means less disposable income.

Katie and I are both rebel free-spirits at heart. We keep telling ourselves that we are free and open to whatever comes our way and that we just need to resist the urge to plan everything out and let things happen. Ok, happen! I’m ready!

- E.

Friends, family, near and far…

We’ve been meaning to start a blog for our family for a while now as a way to keep in touch with all of our loved ones spread out all over the place. Although we’re somewhat skeptical that you spending more time staring at your computer screen will foster a deeper connection with our family, at least it will keep you informed of interesting developments in our lives. And, of course, you’ll be the first to know all the witty, cool, insightful stuff our kids are saying and doing these days. Enjoy!