Lemons, Lemonade, and Big Adventures

Do you have a big dream? A vision for yourself for living, loving, leisure? I've always had a big dream; I've always envisioned myself out on some land, raising my own food, having a few chickens, gazing at stars in a truly dark sky, smelling sweet air, and listening only to the sounds of the wind through the trees, birds chirping away, or crystal clear waters tumbling over broad, flat rocks. I've come close to realizing that dream, only to have the dream dashed. But the vision persisted, and now it becomes manifest! My husband and I bought a cabin in the mountains!

After almost a year of serious seeking, we found a place just perfect for us -- three bedrooms, a loft, and a basement high up on a ridge with a long range view of South Mountain in Rutherford County, North Carolina. We closed last Friday and are busy packing and scheduling the big move.

I'm taking this turn of events as proof of the power of persistent dreaming, of having a vision and never letting it go. You see, I believe that if you keep your vision before you, you can call it into being in ways you never would have guessed.  Sometimes even bad fortune leads to opportunity: you really can take lemons and turn them into lemonade!

In my case, the lemon was being forced into early retirement because of the bad economy in North Carolina and the elimination of my position at the university. Better off than many, I was just old enough with just enough service to qualify for retirement although with benefits less than half I would have realized with more years under my belt. But, you know what? I can make it with less money. And the lemonade? Well, that's the gift of time. An opportunity to join my husband in retirement and find the place we both have dreamed of.

We're as giddy as teenagers -- not even phased by the chaos of packing and moving, or changing from a more urban (and convenient) lifestyle to a rural lifestyle where we have to plan excursions to town with forethought and organization. It's an adventure.

And I'm going to keep you posted right here on my blog so you can see for yourself the challenges we face and the successes we create. Come along for the ride!