A few years ago, I started to really learn to cook. Prior to gaining any form of kitchen knowledge, if the instructions weren’t printed clearly on the back of the box, I couldn’t make it. I sustained myself off fried egg sandwiches, instant ramen and freezer meals.
Learning these basic and simple methods of cooking started a passion in me that I didn’t think would ever happen. I have always been a city girl so this new found love of getting down to the basics and being closer to the source of my food had even me baffled.
I began to dream of raising animals and creating a garden that could feed our family of 5. I approached my husband with an idea. I told him my dream and said that one day I’d like for us to get some land and run a small farm.
He laughed.
Which is probably a completely reasonable response to have when someone who has never expressed any interest in living in any place that had less than 3 million people!
I kept that dream in the back of my mind. I learned more about cooking. I started to learn to sew. I even learned some gardening skills!
Towards the end of 2019, my husband came to me with an idea. He had recently taken up his own interest in self-sufficient living and preparedness that year. It was time to start looking for a permanent home, he said. The home he described wanting was the exact same as the idea I came to him with years before.
Of course, he doesn’t remember that conversation taking place.
We looked at a few houses but they were never quite right. We were willing to deal with a fixer upper house, but the land had to be perfect. We wanted space for a garden and animals. A pond for our kids to swim and fish in. We had to be surrounded by trees. We’d learn to love the house.
After almost an entire year of searching, I saw this house. It was my birthday and my husband was out of town. I immediately sent the listing to my husband. I just knew this was the house.
He sent it to our realtor, who told us that if we wanted to see it, it had to be right away because it was the final day for viewings. I loaded up the car, drove out, walked through the house, around the yard. This house had everything on our wishlist and even a few things we didn’t know we wanted.
I called my husband before even leaving the driveway and told him that our search was done. We made an offer and it was accepted almost immediately. All without him ever seeing it! If that isn’t trust, I don’t know what is.
The house needs a lot of love but for all that we are gaining, this journey will be so worth it.
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