I didn’t mean to take a such a long hiatus from blogging. But after more than 10 years of blogging and 375 posts, I apparently needed a break. More than anything, I needed time to settle in to our new life in North Carolina.
To Blog…Or Not To Blog
Over the past several months, I’ve had many people reach out to make sure we’re okay. Had you asked me this in May, when we were sidelined for an entire month by an evil virus, I would have emphatically said “NO.”
But in general, yes, we are more than okay, and we’re very happy that we made the decision to buy a tiny home in this sweet community in North Carolina.
Many people have also asked if I intend to continue blogging.
Honestly, I’ve been wondering that myself. Blogging requires a significant amount of time and energy, and my time and energy have been consumed by adjusting to a new home, new surroundings, and a new lifestyle. The last several years have been a rollercoaster of far too many big life changes, and I needed to get off of that ride and regain my equilibrium.
We just celebrated our one-year anniversary of moving into our tiny home. It has taken this long to truly begin to feel like we’re home.
We started this blog as a way of keeping in touch with friends and family when we began our full-time travels in 2013. It has evolved into so much more…a journey of grand adventures, shattering life events, and tiny precious moments. And it has opened the door to friendships that we never would have otherwise discovered.
Looking back, I’m glad that I took the time and energy to write these pages. There is no way that I would remember a fraction of what we’ve done without this blog. But more than anything, I’m grateful for the forever friends we’ve made through our blog—many of whom we’ve met in person, and many of whom we have yet to meet.
So, my answer is yes. I’m going to continue writing as long as you’re interested in reading. Thank you, dear friends, for accompanying us through all these years of adventures and misadventures. We hope you’ll continue along with us—your company makes our journey all that much richer and way more fun.
April
After returning home in late March from our winter in Florida, we got busy in our tiny yard. We spent several weeks with a pickaxe and digging bar, trying to turn this stubborn plot of hard-packed clay into a garden.
“I thought we moved to a tiny home so that we didn’t have to deal with a yard,” said Eric. Haha. He should know me better by now, right? The community takes care of mowing and community spaces, but our garden beds are ours to maintain. Some people are content with the landscaping package that comes with their house. I, however, had more elaborate plans in mind. “It’s only a tiny garden,” I reassured Eric.
And now:
It’s a good thing our yard is small. Over the past few months, we’ve planted dozens of new shrubs, perennials, and trees. Everything is happy now that we’ve resolved the drainage and soil issues. But we still have plenty of bare ground, and I have plans. Maybe berries and a raised veggie bed? (Not sure yet…but don’t tell Eric. He thinks we’re done.)
We’ve planted with the birds, butterflies, and bees in mind, and our garden has been a riot of happy activity all summer long. The birdbaths and assorted feeders help attract our winged friends, too. We’ve had at least 75 bird species, 15 different butterflies, and many unidentified bees visit since we’ve been here.
May
May was a blur. We were both sick with some kind of unidentified respiratory virus from hell, with all kinds of extra added attractions including three weeks of total laryngitis for me. That was annoying. And don’t you dare say, “I’ll bet Eric was happy about that!” LOL.
Thank goodness for good friends in our wonderful community, who dropped groceries and pots of homemade soup on our porch—before running away as quickly as possible.
June, July, and August
We were finally well enough to enjoy the gorgeousness of Western North Carolina in summer. Along with exploring our surroundings, we’ve had visits from several long-time friends, many of whom we met during our full-time travels. We’ve also been enjoying lots of activities in our tiny home community, and are delighted with the friends we’re making here. Moving to this community was exactly the right thing for us to do at this time in life. I’ll post more about that another time.
Click on photos for a larger image
Happy almost fall, y’all! With love from North Carolina,
Laurel, Eric & Magnolia
BINGO! Every morning I check your blog to see if you’re there and today you were!
At Last! I, for one (or maybe two) am happy that you’ll continue this blog. We are so glad we met through it and hope to stay in touch, through it. These things evolve over time and with life changes, but they don’t have to end completely. I love to be able to see your faces and how your little home is evolving and what you’re up to. It makes us feel like we don’t live on opposite sides of the country!
Your landscaping looks wonderful, but I’m glad I don’t have to keep thing pruned and deadheaded and fertilized and watered! I’m sure the birds (and neighbors) love it and you for providing such a lush oasis.
Fun to sit with your morning beverage or afternoon g&t and watch the life it provides.
Sorry you were both so sick but glad you’re better now. I wonder what it was?
Looking forward to seeing you this winter.