We're moving

[Gardenarian]

Well, it's decided - after 25 years in the SF Bay Area, we're moving to Ashland, OR. :0!

I have so many things to think about that I didn't sleep at all last night. We're pretty well settled on a house up in Ashland, but have not put any offers in yet or anything. We plan on moving just after the the holidays - we need to have our last annual New Year's Eve Party here.

I've got two houses here to fix up and sell (my cabin and our big house.) Luckily we've been really clearing out the clutter.

My 15yo dd wants to try out high school up there (after a life of homeschooling.) That's going to be quite an adjustment. She's lived in the same town all her life, and our current house is the only one she remembers.

I let everyone at work know that I will be taking early retirement at the end of this semester. It will be a great relief, as I have not felt up to my job since losing most of my hearing.

I'll be sad about leaving so much behind. The impetus for this is coming from dh, and I do think it's a better fit for us, but I am quite anxious about it all, even as I'm so fed up with all the noise and congestion.

Exciting times coming!

[awakenedsoul]

Wow Gardenarian...that's exciting! Congratulations! It's noisy where you live? Is it traffic, neighbors, or just the city? Hope everything falls into place with the home sales. Glad to hear you've been decluttering. That will make it easier. Sorry to hear about your hearing loss. I think you will enjoy the early retirement.

[Sad Eyed Lady]

Enjoy the new adventure! Good for you for making this move and starting something new.

[Lainey]

Good for you - making the decision is always tough, but once you're committed then it's just a matter of getting the logistics done. Enjoy your new place, let us know next year how it is after you're settled in.

[razz]

See your move to OR as an adventure just like a trip to climb Mt Everest. What preparation, materials, resources, travel documents etc do you need. I am going through this moving from our farm to my new little house in town. I was feeling overwhelmed until I saw it all as an adventure that needed careful planning with the idea that the trip was the goal. Worry about what it will be like after you have made the transition and you will be better able to focus. Enjoy the journey!

[iris lilies]

It's great that your daughter is on board with this! It can be so tricky to move children of that age.

[rosarugosa]

How exciting, Gardenarian! Will look forward to following your adventure!

[Float On]

congrats on making the decision.
I just wanted to say that your daughter will do fine. I homeschooled until 7th grade and the first year in school they felt like it was a lot of review of things we'd already studied. My boys have really appreciated what their high school has to offer.

[CathyA]

Good luck to you Gardenarian! I'm sure you will find a lovely place and be very happy! Keep us posted on your progress.

[Spartana]

Congrats gardenerian! Ashland is a charming town surrounded by beautiful countryside. It's a little too far from the coast for beach-girl me, but the other nearby areas - mountains! - make up for it. ll t'll be a change from the bay areas cooler foggy summers and warmer winters but I think it'll be a really nice change to have 4 seasons with some snow and some rain. Oh and fewer earthquakes, less traffic (I'm in Petaluma now having to wait for the endless traffic jam to abate so I can go to SF today - ugh!!), and lower housing prices. Good luck and tell us about your new house - is it one of the cute small houses close to downtown? Those neighborhoods are very charming. And also congrats on the early retirement. It'll be nice to have more free time in your new area and with your family.

[catherine]

Wow! Very exciting! I understand the bittersweet feelings about leaving the past behind, but you have so much fun stuff to look forward to--including early retirement!!! Congratulations!

[SteveinMN]

Sounds like everyone is jumping in! Good luck with the move -- lots of opportunities will present themselves!

[Tradd]

Gardenarian, how wonderful! Good luck with the move. How much decluttering are you going to do beforehand?

So glad to hear your daughter is OK with this. And good luck on your earlier retirement, too!

[Gardenarian]

Awakenedsoul - the most aggravating noise is from the airport. There has been an immense increase in flights (this is nationwide, not just here) and also the flight pattern has been altered so planes fly continually over our house from 6am-midnight, with occasional planes waking us at 3-4 am. I can not express how maddening this is. I have worked on committees for the past several years to address the noise, but you really can't fight the FAA.

Sad eyed lady - thanks for your vote of confidence! It is much appreciated.

Lainey - I do hope I get less crazy after we are settled in. I'm very jittery right now.

Razz - climbing Mt. Everest indeed! I'm so caught up in the details that it is hard sometimes to see the big picture - the wonderful opportunities that are the reason we are moving.

Iris lilies - We have put off even considering moving because of dd. But many of her closest friends went off to college this year, some have gone on to other schools, and her very best friend moved about 20 miles away. It's definitely a tough time for her, but I'm trying to model "when one door closes, another one opens." It's impossible to predict how things will go for her - but having a rough patch at 15yo is not exactly abnormal. Not easy, but - just life.

Rosarugosa - thanks! speaking of roses, I was surprised that all of the roses I saw in Oregon looked very shabby - it is supposed to be prime territory for them. I guess I'll learn more when I get there.

Float On - I heaved a big sigh of relief when I read your post! We have been mostly unschooling, so I have no idea how dd will do at school. Glad to hear that you had a smooth transition - I have heard this from other homeschoolers, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed! She is excited about meeting so many new people. There are around 1000 kids at the high school, so she's sure to find her niche (I think.)

CathyA - thanks for your good wishes. We have found a lovely house, but we are still looking around. I will definitely post when we have settled on our new home!

Spartana - Yes, it is one of those cute little Victorians near the downtown, on a quiet street. I'm looking forward to the change of seasons. I haven't done any skiing in ages and am excited to take it up again. Yes, will miss the beach - but not the traffic, for sure. I've been saying for several years that I would retire - I'm glad this pushed me to go for it! And it turns out my pension is higher than I thought it would be :)

Catherine - bittersweet is just how it feels. I heard the song "The House that Built Me" the other day and just about collapsed in tears. I know it is the right move, I know it - but change is hard. Change is life, but still, hard.

Steve - thanks for the luck - I'm feeling like I'll need plenty!

Tradd - we had a garage sale a couple of weeks ago and all the leftovers went to Salvation Army. We are planning on moving very little; in fact, we are asking the owners if they will include some furnishings so we have less to move. I still have far more books than I need, dd will need to whittle down her art supplies, and dh is busy getting rid of his airplane model collection on Ebay. We hope to bring only essentials.


I'm really hoping this will be a life simplifying move. I am spending too much life energy on things that don't pay back - and so are dd and dh. It feels like something of a gamble, and I hope we have no regrets. It's hard to pull up roots, but sometimes re-potting is just what a plant needs to thrive.

[Blackdog Lin]

I'm really hoping this will be a life simplifying move. I am spending too much life energy on things that don't pay back - and so are dd and dh. It feels like something of a gamble, and I hope we have no regrets. It's hard to pull up roots, but sometimes re-potting is just what a plant needs to thrive.

That is just too lovely a thought Gardenarian. Made me smile. Wishing you all the best with your exciting life changes.

[Dhiana]

Your daughter is old enough at 15 to take on a couple of the responsibilities for the move. It will probably help with her own transition to feel she has some control and say the situation.

[JaneV2.0]

You have a lot happening at once. Remember that nothing (well, almost nothing) is irrevocable. And enjoy your retirement!

[fidgiegirl]

Lovely analogy about the plant. I am the teeniest bit jealous of your move. Sounds like a big adventure. Keep coming back here as you need grounding and good vibes.

[pony mom]

Starting over with a fresh clean slate is great news! How exciting for you.

When my parents and I made the move from a very congested part of NJ to a rural area of the state, I never thought that the only thing I'd miss was our main library in town.

The bit of OR I've seen was beautiful. Lots of outdoorsy stuff to do.

[larknm]

Gardenarian, I admire you and your family for making this move--too often DH and I wish we could do that--not the energy or money to do it these days, but I get a vicarious thrill from identifying with those of you who can.

[KayLR]

Congratulations on your decision! I think you will like Ashland. It's very pretty. Do you like Shakespeare?

[Gardenarian]

I LOVE Shakespeare. I spent a college semester at Oxford Universityjust to study with a particular Shakespeare scholar. So, yes - that is a HUGE pull for me. We saw two plays last week-end; Two Gentleman of Verona (with an all female cast - absolutely brilliant), and Richard III (Richard was very sarcastic and snarky - not how I read the play, but still good.)
I'm planning on volunteering for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

[Teacher Terry]

Ashland is a beautiful town-we went there on a vacation. I love having 4 mild seasons. Moving is exciting plus scary. Congrats on your early retirement!!

[Gardenarian]

Teacher Terry - exciting plus scary describes it! I'm on a total adrenaline rush. It was really getting to me, but now I'm just trying to roll with it. I can sleep once we move (and there won't be any airplanes to wake me up!)

[Teacher Terry]

I have moved a lot of times so I really know the feelings you are experiencing.

[awakenedsoul]

I thought of you Gardenarian, because I met a girl from Ashland on the bus the other day. She was really cute. She loved it there, and said how beautiful it was. She left because she couldn't find work. I got a really good impression of Ashland from her.

[Gardenarian]

Things are picking up steam!

My cabin goes on the market next week (a little heartbreak there.)

We're making regular trips to donate stuff, and dh is busy on Craigslist and Ebay getting rid of stuff that has immediate market value. 25 years of crapola!

We are meeting with the realtor to decide what work needs to be done on our main house and to work out a timeline. She will also advise us on moving companies and such. The realtor is a musician my husband has worked with and also a longtime friend and neighbor. I trust her completely. (She's also handling the cabin sale.)

We have chosen a house - though we really liked the Victorian, we decided on a newer house that is just a couple blocks from the high school (and we can still easily walk to everything.) I'm hoping that makes it easier on dd, knowing she can run home if she forgets something, giving her more time in the morning, and (I hope) encouraging her to invite other kids over.
We'll be going back to Ashland next week to make the official offer on the house and take lots of measurements and stuff. I'm arranging the furniture in my head!

We also want the Ashland house painted inside and out (kind of sad, 'cause it was just painted - but the colors are dreadful.) Anyhow, need to find out about painters in the area. The nice thing about a newer house - all it needs is paint and some new light fixture (again - hideous!) But - central heat & air, central vacuum (which I hope works well), lots of insulation, Pella windows, new appliances, etc. Pretty much turn-key.

I have lots of questions, so I'll be starting threads on those when I have some time...

Thank you all for your good wishes and support! It's really hard telling people when they react with "Oh no! You can't move!"
I know the thought is good (and I've said the same myself to others) but I'm not rejecting my town or my job - I'm going on an adventure!

[nswef]

You are brave! It sounds as if you are controlling everything you can so that helps I'm sure. You should be getting excited now...but I suspect anxiety is there as well. I love that you were avle to choose a house close to the school. It helps so much for your child's adjustment to be right in the neighborhood. Gives her more independence. I am following your journey with interest. Thanks for posting about it from the beginning.

[Gardenarian]

nswef - yes, there is anxiety - excitement, adrenaline, sleepless nights. I think you spotted that I'm posting here to help keep a handle on things; when I write to all of you, it seems like I'm actually doing a rational and pretty cool thing. It doesn't always feel that way inside - more like jumping off a cliff into unknown waters.
And I can only think of the incredible amount of work involved in sideways glances, like looking at the sun - I'd be blinded and blown away to look at it straight on.
Life! It's something, this life, isn't it?

[awakenedsoul]

My reaction was, "Can I come?" It sounds so exciting. Congratulations on finding a house already. It's nice that your neighbors and friends there want you to stay. They'll miss you...

[Gardenarian]

Come on up, AS! With your theater background you would be a natural in Ashland!

[awakenedsoul]

Thanks Gardenarian! I've always liked people from Oregon. I lived in Seattle, WA until I was six years old, and cried every day when we moved to California. I missed Seattle so much! Fifteen or so years ago I went back to do a Broadway workshop of Easter Parade at the 5th Avenue Theater. I just love that area...

I am getting a vicarious thrill through your move. It's really not that far away. My parents live in the Bay Area. I should make that my next trip...

[Polliwog]

Gardenarian, I think you are a lucky family to be moving to Ashland. I remember it as being a wonderful setting. I went for the Shakespeare festival and a all-natural cooking class that was advertised on NPR. We also attended 1 or 2 plays (can't quite remember). Best wishes to you and yours.

Linda