Nest

For those of you playing along, at home, I believe it has been two weeks since Scott and Christine sold their house, a house that they loved. 

Twenty Five years back, Scott and Christine picked up and moved 1,348 miles south, from Brookfield, Connecticut to Sarasota, Florida. We leased (with an option to buy) a house. We leased for one year and then we purchased a house. 

When we leased, when we bought, that Sarasota home was located a little bit south and west, off a primary east - west crossroad that ran from highway to Key (a Key is a barrier island and this one had a beach, a beautiful beach, Siesta Key Beach). 

That primary cross road corridor and the small city of Sarasota (especially in the Summer, off-season), it all felt - a little bit sleepy. It felt (a little bit) hidden. A gem, it felt to us, like a hidden gem. 

And then, and then there was Press. People wrote about Sarasota. People ranked and rated Siesta Key Beach (fine white sand, wide space to stretch out beach, most of the time, gentle surf). 

People came, and people came, and development happened, and then there was more. More people, more development, more, ever more, all around us. No end, no end in sight.

What felt (to us) hidden, a little bit our secret, that secret got out, out of the box. Everyone knew, everyone came. (It happens. We understand. It happens.)

The place, it changed. 

And, also, twenty five years happened. 

Twenty five years, in twenty five years, Scott and Christine (you can’t stop it) grew older, wiser (maybe, I hope), smarter (I hope that is true also), but whatever, one thing sure - we changed. Sarasota changed and Scott and Christine, we changed too.

^^^^^

Merrily, merrily, merrily, we lived one dream and then we felt like, we decided it was time, time to live another - dream.

We sold a house (that we loved). And at first, we felt elated… free.

We thought - hey maybe - maybe we will live life, a life of vagabonds. No anchors, we might roam across the land - to see - to see, what we can see.

But, I will tell you… 

Two weeks in, we find ourselves longing for some mooring. Something to hitch to, a place to hang hats (and shirts, and a place for folded underwears, I have an old Friend who used to say - plural, underwears, not a mistake, it was (is) an - intentional - digression). 

Back to point… We seek, favorite (maybe some new) favorite corners, chairs, tables, sofas, a desk. Just a little bit - of stuff, to bring order to days. Places to sit, to eat, to work, to lounge…

Another place, another place that we can love, and nest, a house in this place we choose for our next dream. A house to love and turn into a home. House to home.

And it is hard. We have a place, a city, El Paso. And a section of El Paso that we like, with restaurants and venues (museums and theaters and many new things to discover and explore).

This part of El Paso, where we have touched down, but not planted any roots as yet, this section of El Paso - it is developed, pretty much fully developed. It is not sleepy, but at the same time, it does not feel - too busy, over crowded. It feels right.

Now to just find a house that is not too far outside, too far away, from this zone, comfort zone, this area that feels right, that feels correct, good for us. 

And this, here is the hard part… How do we find a place to live up to our twenty five years older than we used to be, expectations? 

With twenty five years added on from the last move, I am not sure if we are (really) wiser or smarter, but I am sure that we know more of who we are and what we DO and DO NOT want. 

9,125 more (but who’s counting?) spins on the wheel, since we last fell in love with a house. (I am counting. Scott can count. Scott counts. I count and I count. Sometimes I drive myself crazy with counts.)

We know so much more of what we want and don’t want. It makes it hard, harder to find that place, that - Next Place, next house - next place to hang hats, fold underwears, nest, hut, home - a place to set up camp and work our way into our next dream.

I don’t know how we’re going to do it. 

But I do know, somehow - I know that we will. Move forward. Pass GO. 

Find a place, a house, nest…

Merrily, merrily, merrily - life is but - a dream.

*****

Photo: Dog toys, two birds, side by side, flying upside down. Dog toys, as the Boys (our Dog - Boys) left them. The birds called to me. I complied. Took photo. And - what do you know - inspiration for words today. Thank you Boys. Good Boys. You deserve - treats. Treats all around…