View Full Version : Life's a beach
or can it really be? Am I too head in the clouds?
I have had the dream of a little house near the water since I was around 10. Almost 30 years. Can one really jump off the normal wagon and make it happen? I don't need much and I don't want much. I would still work but I would keep my life really laid back and fluid. So please..someone post a success story like this..jumping off the bandwagon and living your life TRULY.
yes.
sold everything, moved to NZ, live in a little cottage by the beach (literally), and run a business that I love! It's awesome. It can work. You'll be ok. GO!
I agree with zoebird. If you really really want something, like a place near water, you can happily put up with the changes that might be needed.
Yes, of course you can make it happen! What do YOU think the major barriers are? Share them with us and we'll help talk you out of them!
If you want to try it out, why not do a Craigslist "sublet/temporary" in the offseason to see if you really do like it? I rented this beach house for 6 weeks and LOVED it, and because it was the winter, it was very cheap.
Someday I may live there. At this point DH wants to stay put.
http://ourtownrentals.com/images_listing/2708685.jpg
I am starting to consider Rockport TX for retirement. Or at the least a little getaway cottage. Such a laid back style of life there. I can hear thte seagulls now.
I also think it's doable but you might have to work several (or many?) more years then you would if you bought a small house a ways inland. One of the things I found out when you retire is that you are basicly free veryday to go the the beach as much as you want - each and everyday, as long as you want. And you are free to go to other beachs at different places all over (like Catherines little beach house on the Jersey shore) for long visits for a fraction of the cost of owning. So while living at the beach might be great, if you have to work many more years to be able to afford it, you might prefer to be retired inside and live 50 miles inland for a fraction of the cost and just "visit" the beach as often as you want. Or the mountains, or the lakes or.... well you get my point.
I think that's true of people who like to go out and do that, vs people who are looking for an all around lifestyle.
For me, living far away from the amenities that I want is not how I want to live. Having to "commute" to what I do and/or enjoy isn't fun for me. Yes, I could afford more house for less and/or a smaller house and own it more quickly, but it's not what I *want*.
I love being at home, sitting in my favorite spot with a hot cup of tea and a book and sitting and reading and looking out the window and seeing the beach. In bad weather, I'm enjoying the beauty of the water and everything from the comfort and warmth of my home where I have all of my comforts close at hand. In good weather, I can go out and enjoy it in an instant, rather than having to pack meals, pack clothes, pack a car, drive 30-40 minutes, etc -- what is for me a big undertaking.
Sometimes, you are purchasing what you want is the better bet.
Wildflower
3-25-13, 11:38pm
For us, staying here in our modest, little, mortgage free home, and taking short trips to the places we most enjoy, has worked for us.... It always seems so special when we get there. :) And we do love where we live too, even though it's not near the beach or the mountains, we can easily drive and enjoy often enough... This has worked well for us in retirement.
Sure, and it can.
But I don't believe in staying a place where you are not living your dream and/or what may be causing you suffering. For me, the idea of -- since I currently do not own a home nor am I paying a mortgage (i rent) -- just buying a place for less money way out from where I want to be, from the lifestyles and amenities that I want, is a recipe for dissatisfaction at least, and suffering at most.
So, for me, it's better to work for and go for what I want rather than settle for something else and commute a great distance to what I want.
But, there's nothing wrong with wanting what you have, and then using it as a safe launch point. It's certainly no judgement to say "if you want it, get it." If you don't want it, then no big deal. :)
Sure, and it can.
But I don't believe in staying a place where you are not living your dream and/or what may be causing you suffering. For me, the idea of -- since I currently do not own a home nor am I paying a mortgage (i rent) -- just buying a place for less money way out from where I want to be, from the lifestyles and amenities that I want, is a recipe for dissatisfaction at least, and suffering at most.
So, for me, it's better to work for and go for what I want rather than settle for something else and commute a great distance to what I want.
But, there's nothing wrong with wanting what you have, and then using it as a safe launch point. It's certainly no judgement to say "if you want it, get it." If you don't want it, then no big deal. :)Well of course it doesn't have to mean living in a place where you are disatisfied or that doesn't have other lifestyle amenities you enjoy. But the trade off is often in terms of finances and retirement. If you knew that to have that cute little beach cottage near the ocean you'd have to work another 30 years to pay for it, but would only have to work 10 more years if you bought a nice place, in a nice community, 25 miles inland, then you (generic you) might choose to move inland. Or maybe you want to put your kids thru private school or travel or...well a myriad of other things that you could pay for and have in your life if it didn't get the expensive beach house.
For me I'd choose the 10 years to retire plan and having extra money to do many things plan rather then the 30 years of working to pay for a house plan. But everyones mileage varies and it just comes down to what's important to each of us in the end. I live just a few miles from the beach (3) in very expensive orange County, Cal, and was able to do so because I bought with my sister. However, if I wanted to buy a house alone, I could find a place exactly like mine (nicer actually) in some very nice communities 25 or so miles away at half the cost or less of this place. If I move 100 miles away (like I did when living in a beautiful mountain ski resort community) I could get a great cabin for about 1/4th or less the cost of the current digs.
So yeah, I'd live far from the ocean and use the extra saving (and the free time that comes with being able to retire much earlier) to spend a few months each year on a beach in... Tahiti...or Bali...Hawaii...or :-)!! And I'd still only be a 90 minute drive from my local beaches - snow ski in the morning, surf in the afternoon - and the extra money and free time to do both whenever I wanted! Not too shabby of a lifestyle even if it wasn't a cute little cottage by the beach ;-)! Of course ideally I'd like that too and i think there are probably lots of places in the USA (and abroad) that you can find inexpensive beach houses if someone is willing to relocate.
It is quite possible!
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-COoaYPSishU/UUaHkvBR4bI/AAAAAAAAHbw/cdubntsT25A/s640/Awesomized.jpg
Except that I don't see it that way.
You see, foremost, I have an issue with retirement. I agree that if I'm working a salaried job where there's an obvious income cap over time -- then I most certainly agree. I mean, the *only* way that DH and I would have ever been able to enjoy any travel/etc if we'd stayed where and as we were in PA would be to have finished paying down on the little condo within another 5 years -- that would be another two years from now -- which would have been fine shelter for us for many years to come -- including retirement.
From there, we would have been able to invest about $35k of DH's income, and that's roughly what I made in an good year with my teaching (and it was good years in and around having DS), and with that sort of annual investment into the right kinds of funds and such, I think we could have retired in 10 years.
Of course, I didn't/don't want to retire. Which means that I could continue to bring in a tidy little income for several more years at least. And with that, enjoy a laid back lifestyle.
Granted, it was suburban hell, but yes -- it's not a terrible life.
That being said. It's not the life that I wanted.
So, isntead of focusing on retirement, which doesn't matter to me, i focused on what did matter to me: living the life that I wanted.
My work has expanded and I love it. I am making more money now than ever before and it's continuing to grow. It is possible -- in my mind at least -- for my business to grow large enough and quickly enough (though sustainably) that I could
A. retire whenever I wanted to;
B. buy whatever house I want;
C. travel whenever and where ever I want.
I believe that this is possible. I'm living it and working it so that it can happen. It's my choice to do that. I don't want to live 100 miles from a beach (though that's hard to do in NZ! LOL) and then holiday there, or save money so that I could go to tahiti when I could live a certain way all the time if I wanted to.
But, i'm not casting aspersions on anyone else. I'm just saying that I don't want that. And there's nothing wrong with em wanting what I want, right? And getting it?
Wildflower
3-28-13, 6:12am
Different strokes for different folks.
It's all good. :)
Precisely. :)
I always feel like people are trying to talk me out of buying what I want vs "saving money" by buying what I don't want because then I can "still enjoy it by driving to it." It's just not the same thing.
I find that when I save up and buy what I want, and when I work for what I want -- even if it takes 30 years -- it's usually worth it because it is. . . what I want.
And I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting. Or working. :)
Precisely. :)
I always feel like people are trying to talk me out of buying what I want vs "saving money" by buying what I don't want because then I can "still enjoy it by driving to it." It's just not the same thing.
I find that when I save up and buy what I want, and when I work for what I want -- even if it takes 30 years -- it's usually worth it because it is. . . what I want.
And I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting. Or working. :)
Oh no - I'm not saying my version is better than yours - just different. I was trying to use it to show the OP (mama M) that, in my personal experience, that you can have a great life - and possibly an early retirement and the freedom to go to the beach everyday, all day if those are things she wants - without having to actually live at the beach and pay the higher prices for that. Obviously, as I stated in my post, each person has to do what is best for them and I wasn't trying to say one way was better than the other.
It is quite possible!
Ha! Ha! Well I could probably afford to live on your island if I had a rich benefactor to buy me some nice coast property (hint, hint - it's an investment...really :-)!).
But your area is a good example of what I was talking about. I love it where you live but there is no way I would be able to afford even a tiny cottage in the island's interior - let alone an ocean front place - not without having a huge downpayment and having to spend the rest of my life working and commuting until I was 65 or 70 or older and spending every cent I had on my house. And even then I'd probably still have an unpaid mortgage when I died. But I could easily afford a place off-island and slightly inland and only a short (and very lovely) ferry ride away. A place closer to the mountains, forests, lakes and rivers yet at a fraction of the cost of living on your island. So for me (not telling anyone else this is a better choice for them) I would do that and have the ability to have a paid off home and an early retirement with the freedom to come out to your islands any time I wanted.
I think that has to do with choices and circumstances, too.
It's partly why we took this great risk of moving and starting our own business. I realized that if we kept doing what we were doing, we'd never be able to afford the daily lifestyle or "retirement" that we wanted. So, we had to make a change to make that happen -- and we did.
I'm fairly certain that bae didn't have a wealthy benefactor, yet managed to do ok for himself anyway. He doesn't chat like a trust-fund baby.
But your area is a good example of what I was talking about. I love it where you live but there is no way I would be able to afford even a tiny cottage in the island's interior - let alone an ocean front place - not without having a huge downpayment and having to spend the rest of my life working and commuting until I was 65 or 70 or older and spending every cent I had on my house.
You would be really surprised. Plenty of people without much money manage to find ways to live here. Generally not in prebuilt mansions on large waterfront parcels, but you can be a 5 minute walk from the water and not pay nearly the same price. I know lots of folks who started out here in tents, trailers, and yurts, and over the years build more substantial dwellings with their own hands, or as they could afford to hire it out.
The main thing they have in common is they really really wanted to work here, so they got creative.
flowerseverywhere
3-29-13, 7:15am
Follow your dreams and make a reasonable plan for you. I moved about 45 minutes from the ocean, although I grew up a half mile from a ocean beach. Factoring in everything, I did the right thing by me. Around me, Hurricane insurance on a house is very expensive, and there are many areas that are so touristy that I would not be happy there. I like living in a house in a warm climate, in a more rural area. I love it here. We go to the beach one a week on average, and go all over. It is our driving day and we may visit a historical site or go to a museum or play in the area or work around an MD visit. That is worth the money to me to spend a day out. The rest of the time we love living our quiet little simple lives. We considered all of the southeast and there are a lot of places to choose from. One area had many large industrial plants belching out who knows what but it was near the ocean and cheap. Other areas were high crime or had miles of huge beachfront condos. One of my big financial goals was to put my kids through university with little to no loans and now I am working on my Grandchildren's education fund. That and no debt are the most important things to me. some people want to have a big boat, or eat out five times a week or a closet full of clothes or take a yearly cruise or European vacation and don't mind debt. Some choose to earn little, but in this precarious economy and as we all know illness or injury can quickly happen to anyone so that would not be my comfort zone. To each his own.
You would be really surprised. Plenty of people without much money manage to find ways to live here. Generally not in prebuilt mansions on large waterfront parcels, but you can be a 5 minute walk from the water and not pay nearly the same price. I know lots of folks who started out here in tents, trailers, and yurts, and over the years build more substantial dwellings with their own hands, or as they could afford to hire it out.
The main thing they have in common is they really really wanted to work here, so they got creative.I can see how it is doable - and especially if people are willing to live in a shared place, or a "creative" space (tent!!), or even a shared creative space :-) and work a lot of creative jobs, self-employment, seasonal jobs, or do the long ferry commute to the city. And for many people that is probably worth it to be able to live there as it is beautiful. It wouldn't be for me, and I choose to loive off island, but I can see how living everyday in a place you love is worth the extra money and/or work to do it. Althouigh I have looked at some properties on the various islands in your area and it would be very doable to buy a condo or a small house as it wasn't as expensive as last time I looked at places up there (during the boom around 2005).
I think that has to do with choices and circumstances, too.
It's partly why we took this great risk of moving and starting our own business. I realized that if we kept doing what we were doing, we'd never be able to afford the daily lifestyle or "retirement" that we wanted. So, we had to make a change to make that happen -- and we did.
I'm fairly certain that bae didn't have a wealthy benefactor, yet managed to do ok for himself anyway. He doesn't chat like a trust-fund baby.Ha! Ha! - you misunderstood me. I meant that if Bae were MY wealthy benefactor then i could afford to buy an ocean front house on his island. I always assumed Bae was a self-made man and aquired his moo-lah the old fashioned way - by working hard and investing well.
And again, I wasn't speaking specificly to your situation as I feel that you are unique in that you can find a way to do a job you love - one you'd probably do for free as a hobby or teacher anyways - and live in a beautiful place you love too. Most of us don't have that, and it sounded like the OP, Mama M, didn't and was searching more for a way to incorporate either her work or a modest retirement with her dream to live at the beach in a little cottage.
Yes, I understood what you meant, and took it a step farther. Bae did not have a benefactor that gave him his position of privilege on the island. He worked and made choices and he is there. Just as he didn't need a benefactor, neither do you. You can make choices that would put you there, if that's what you *wanted*.
Likewise, I made choices to "have that." It wasn't luck. It wasn't a benefactor. It wasn't even a lot of wealth. It was simply the ability to choose -- and then acting in accordance with that choice.
We had a choice. We were in PA. DH had a normal job. I was teaching yoga. We were slowly paying down our debt (DH's student loans, most of our mortgage, about 1/3 of my student loans, car loan), and we were living simply.
Our income was slowly heading toward it's "cap" -- DH wasn't interested in moving into middle management (he was lower management), which is where he would earn more income. So, he ws going to reach his cap within a few more years, and then just get COL raises -- if that because the company was laying off people in rounds every half year.
My income was dependent on a lot of factors -- whether or not I would maintain employment at given venues and what they were willing to pay and how many classes per week I could teach. Which meant that mine would fluctuate year-to-year (and did).
Through this, we realized that unless we made different choices we would not only not have financial security (it was unlikely all things considered) but we also would not "have that."
Having that means "having what we want" -- in terms of lifestyle, financial security, and ultimately financial wealth.
We are no different as people from *you* or anyone else who "doesn't have that." We aren't luckier, we aren't necessarily wealthier, and we aren't special. The only difference is that we chose differently. We chose to take on a different path so that we could "have that."
MamaM and I are not different from each other. If she wants to "have that" -- a home at the beach -- then she can have that just as I "have that" -- living in NZ.
She just has to make the choices (and sacrifices) that allow that to happen -- just like we did.
We work harder now than we ever have -- but my gawd is it rewarding. I see the financial benefits of every action that I make. It's palpable. If I make an error, we see a loss on our balance sheet. If I do something successfully, we see the benefit on our balance sheet. I feel like I'm the master of my own destiny financially -- that it all depends upon me. I love that. I'm not asking for scraps from a boss. I'm not subject to their whims in terms of what I can and cannot do in my work -- how often, how much I can charge, what I offer, what I teach, and ultimately, what I can earn. I choose what I do for my own benefit or detriment.
Is it high risk? is it more risk than some people can bear? Yes. It is. But the benefits weigh it out for me. The daily excitement and joy of running my business is beyond thrilling. Beyond thrilling. I can't even describe it.
The way everyone describes retirement? That's how I describe running my business. I freaking, insanely love it. I wouldn't do it for no money because the point (or part of it) is money. But, i love it nonetheless.
And, that's not to say that it's wrong to go another way. To make choices to go another way. Wildflower mentions having some pretty major health issues, and our dear red fox is going through some, too. These things definitely weigh in on what choices would be best for an individual and family under the circumstances.
But I don't see those kinds of heavy factors on MamaM. Sure, she has a kid (me too), and she has a husband (me too). And she is (i think) a bit older than I am. She may not be. She may only be 36.5 yr. That could make a difference in terms of retirement or not. It depends. If she loves her work or is moving into work that she loves -- working longer may not even be at issue.
I think I just don't like the insinuation that "not everyone has that" -- I agree that circumstances crop up there that is true. But yourself -- as a single woman with plenty of gumption -- certainly can have anything she truly wants. And I'm cool if you truly want exactly what you have right now -- cuz then you're living the life, just like I am.
Yes, I understood what you meant, and took it a step farther. Bae did not have a benefactor that gave him his position of privilege on the island. He worked and made choices and he is there.
The joke's on me though. Rather than working my way through college, and working hard at many startups, and "retiring" when I was 36 to move up here, if, at the age of 18, when I was a construction electrician, I would simply have moved directly up here, I'd be living much the same life as I am now, but I would have started 2 decades sooner...
Brings to mind one of my favorite jokes:
An American businessman was standing at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish.
"How long it took you to catch them?" The American asked.
"Only a little while." The Mexican replied.
"Why don't you stay out longer and catch more fish?" The American then asked.
"I have enough to support my family's immediate needs." The Mexican said.
"But," The American then asked, "What do you do with the rest of your time?"
The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos, I have a full and busy life, senor."
The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds you buy a bigger boat, and with the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats."
"Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the consumers, eventually opening your own can factory. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise."
The Mexican fisherman asked, "But senor, how long will this all take?"
To which the American replied, "15-20 years."
"But what then, senor?"
The American laughed and said, "That's the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO (Initial Public Offering) and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions."
"Millions, senor? Then what?"
The American said slowly, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take a siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos..."
exactly so.
we were taught to do all of these things "when we retire" but I was like "what? I'm not supposed to live well until I retire?" It just didn't make any sense to me.
We knew it was "now or never" -- and in a sense we retired (since we no longer work corporate) and now do our thing. If we had tried to wait, we would not have been able to make the move. Plain and simple.
jennipurrr
3-30-13, 10:02pm
Another way to get the beach dream, if that is what one really wants, is to buy a property that can be rented out and will pay for itself over a number of years. It is not the most simplest easy thing though, to not take a loss it has required me to self rent (through VRBO). We bought a cozy (=small! 600 sq ft) beach side condo on the Gulf coast in 2009. Prices and interest rates have fallen since then, but we still get a little in the black each year. Right now we visit about three times a year.
I have other short term rentals where the markets are exactly the opposite. The possible FI plan one day when the mortgages are paid off is to divide our time between the two and still generate about 75% of the income they generate now. Who knows if it will work out, especially if we have kids (hopping around midyear) but it sounds good on paper.
that's a great way, too, jennipurr.
two of my friends did that in sort-of different ways.
one just bought a condo (while everything was low), and they rented it out as a holiday rental (it's actually handled by the condo building). they have a big suburban house which is mostly paid off, but they realized that it was a lot more than they wanted/needed. They stayed in the condo for several weeks, and during some of them, my friend discovered that his commute was about the same from the condo as it was from his house. And, they liked the way of life of the condo.
In selling their house, they'll be able to completely pay off the condo, and then his wife will be able to stay at home and/or take on some part time work (she actually likes to work, just not her current job so much). And, that's without hitting any of their retirement or anything. That's pretty sweet.
Another friend of mine bought a run down cottage in a beach town that was relatively rural/run-down, and then lived in it and fixed it up. She still owns it years later -- uses it as a vacation rental when she and her husband moved to where his work was. Keeping it as a rental and then eventually buying their big place in the country, which is now paid off. She can basically go between both, and is currently working on her second career and her husband works part time at the engineering firm where he worked. So essentially, they are both retired.
Sometimes, it's just advantageous buying that makes a big difference.
Another way to get the beach dream, if that is what one really wants, is to buy a property that can be rented out and will pay for itself over a number of years. It is not the most simplest easy thing though, to not take a loss it has required me to self rent (through VRBO). We bought a cozy (=small! 600 sq ft) beach side condo on the Gulf coast in 2009. Prices and interest rates have fallen since then, but we still get a little in the black each year. Right now we visit about three times a year.
I have other short term rentals where the markets are exactly the opposite. The possible FI plan one day when the mortgages are paid off is to divide our time between the two and still generate about 75% of the income they generate now. Who knows if it will work out, especially if we have kids (hopping around midyear) but it sounds good on paper.This is a really common way to get a great little cabin in a ski resort too - live there in summer and rent it out for BIG BUCKS in winter and rent an inexpensive beach place (maybe Jennipurrs :-)!) during the winter. Of course to do that you need to have a transportable job that can go with you, or probably be retired already, or be able to find a "real" job with decent wages as most ski resort jobs (and probably beach towns too) have minimum wage seasonal jobs or live and work elsewhere and just use it occasionally until you can retire there. I thought of doing that when I had a place at a ski resot but decided against it. Good idea to make enough money on your rental property during the high season that it covers your expenses the rest of the year.
Yes, I understood what you meant, and took it a step farther. Bae did not have a benefactor that gave him his position of privilege on the island. He worked and made choices and he is there. Just as he didn't need a benefactor, neither do you. You can make choices that would put you there, if that's what you *wanted*.
. I completely agree - it's all about choices and taking advantage of opportunities if you want that life. I firmly believe that most people can make the sacrifices needed to live where ever - and how ever - they want if it's important enough to them. No wealthy benefactor needed ;-)!
However I still think that you are in a unique situation compared to most people. You have a job skill (one you love) that you can transport with you just about anywhere on the planet. Most of us don't have that and often are stuck working a traditional 9 to 5 kind of job far from our dream place, or trying to piece together a few part time or low paying jobs to be able to live in the place of our dreams. Doable but often lots of work.
In your case, you are able to own a business in a field you love, have that busniness be in a place you love, and also be able to live nearby. You can somewhat make your own hours and days, you get to work with your DH and bring your son there too so are able to have a big chunk of "family" time while on the job. Plus you live in a country with socialized medicine so you aren't dependant on a traditional full time job to get healthcare insurance - or pay the high costs to self-insure your family. All that goes a long way to you being able to be exactly where you want to be.
For other people (like me with no transportable skills) trying to live in a dream place may mean having both spouses working full time jobs, commuting long distances to those 2 seperate jobs, having the kids spend all day in day care, and doing that for decades to be able to live in a dream place. Or if they choose to not have a regular 9 to 5 type job, and it's long commute and hours away from family, and try to piece together jobs in the dream 'hood that provide enough income to cover their higher expenses (higher housing costs and self-funded medical insurance for example) then that person may have to work all of their life. Which is great if you love your job anyways like you do, or they are OK with working that long so you can live where you want. I'm not saying it isn't doable, but may not be the right choice or trade-off for everyone. It wouldn't for me.
In my case, I owned a house (and 6 pets) a 45 minute commute from my very good job. The job was in a very beautiful beach town in So Calif. - a very very expensive beach town. I worked hard to pay my house off and ex-hubby off for his share. Once that was done (took 4 years) I was very sick of the commute and decided I would move closer to work. After a few months of looking at housing prices near my job (didn't want another job near my house as I didn't particularly like my area) I realized that, even if I used all my house equaity towards a new place, I would still have to get at least a 15 year mortgage and work that much longer - or probably closer to 20. So instead, since I wanted the free time to do what I loved - play and compete in beach volleyball (something no one would pay me for even as a coach or if I went pro) - I decided to stay where I was (7 miles from the beach in a working class ethnic neighborhood I didn't like much) and just quit instead. So I did that. Was a great choice too as even though I wasn't crazy abnout my area, I was still close enough to other places I liked a lot and now had the freedom to do the things I loved and spend time with my pets and family, friends and social life too. Something I just didn't have time for before.
I think I just don't like the insinuation that "not everyone has that" -- I agree that circumstances crop up there that is true. But yourself -- as a single woman with plenty of gumption -- certainly can have anything she truly wants. And I'm cool if you truly want exactly what you have right now -- cuz then you're living the life, just like I am.
I just re-read your post, and again want to say that I wasn't telling anyone that my way was better than theirs. And I wasn't trying to insinuate that making one's dreams come true were impossible, or insinuating anything about what you, Mama M, or anyone else can achieve in life to make their dreams reality. I was merely offering up an alternative suggestion to Mama M's dream - one that has worked great for me for the past 13 years of being "work-free" - not saying she couldn't achieve exactly what she wants in life. I greatly admire what you have achieved and the life you have created for yourself and your family, and I certainly think that people should follow their dreams.
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