What I Didn’t Know When I Said Yes to Selling Our House 31 Months Ago
Part of the Home Away and A Way Home series.
I didn’t know how often I would stub my toe in the first twelve months that followed the sale of our home. When I said yes to selling our house on Ridgeview Drive in Rochester, Minnesota, I knew my husband, Chris, and I would spend twelve months traveling. I also knew that in most places we went, we’d spend a month — staying in apartments, sometimes houses. We tried to spend less than $3,000 per month on housing. Since we stayed in Airbnb, Sonder, and VRBO apartments and houses, we didn’t have to pay utilities. It just never crossed my mind how challenging it might be to adjust to each new layout.
When doing yoga or PiYo, I might forget where a chair or decorative whatever was placed. Then, while landing a PiYo flip, aka Wild Thing in yoga, my big toe thwacked into unsuspecting objects. My right got it worse than my left. Pinky toes took their furnishing punches while I made the bed. My feet might get it from either side while setting the table.
“Ow!” Me.
“Did you stub your toe again?” My husband.
“Yes.” Me.
Chris didn’t stub his toes all that much. Despite unconventional choices, like living in twelve cities over twelve months just because we could, we live a traditional life. Chris runs a small tech company. I manage the house. We make our lunches at home. I cook dinner five nights most weeks. Chris spends most of his days at a desk. Always has. I am in motion on and off throughout my day.
I didn’t know how much I’d miss my Ridgeview neighborhood’s nearest grocery store – a HyVee the size of a football field or more. It’s where I bought my first Sumo orange. They’re so sweet and delicious and downright divine. I’d read about them in Shape magazine, or maybe it was in Food Network. They’re usually in stores from January through early spring — they’re worth the splurge. At that Hy-Vee, I found nearly any ingredient a NYTCooking, Saveur, or Food + Wine recipe threw at me.
Sometimes, I daydream about roaming Hy-Vee’s aisles, where I can read every sign in the store. Natural Jif Crunchy Peanut Butter is on the shelf I expect to find it on. My favorite tortillas, Street Tacos Carb Balance Whole Wheat Tortillas by Mission, can be found a few aisles down. Matt at the deli recommends new cheeses to try. I get Di Lusso roast beef and turkey sliced just right, half a pound of each, at least. I fill my cart with Honeycrisp apples that barely fit in my hand, pure maple syrup that’s Minnesota-grown (Canadian is also nice), BoomChickaPop, Bubbl’rs, Kodiak Cakes Cornbread, canned hatch chiles, bratwurst, and Dave’s Killer Bread. Then, I load up my vehicle with my purchases and drive them into our home’s garage. Chris gets up from his desk to help bring the groceries into the house just like he always did.
I knew I would miss the Rochester Athletic Club (RAC). There was no question in my mind about that. What I didn’t know was just how much it had spoiled me and my family. For those who don’t know, the RAC is like a luxurious athletic resort full of kind and considerate people. It's vast and wonderful and close to my favorite grocery store and a much-loved coffee shop where I met up with friends. As I’ve traveled with my husband, I have not found a single gym half as good.
I didn’t know that after twelve months, we wouldn’t be done moving. Once we started, Chris didn’t know when he’d be ready to stop moving and exploring. I love to travel, but less than six months into our twelve-month adventure, I wanted a place to call home again. When we set out, my mission was to no longer wonder if we were living in the right place. I thought we only had a few details to sort out: Apartment or house? A big city or a small one? By the ocean or in the mountains? And, of course, where could we get the house we wanted within a budget that worked for us?
Chris and I didn’t know that we’d move to Europe. It wasn’t a blip of a thought for either of us until midway in when it suddenly was. I wanted to stay in places for longer than a month. Chris wanted to expand our travels. This led to a discussion that ended with the idea of living in four different countries in a year. We could spend three months in each country.
We didn’t end up doing exactly that. Instead, we spent three glorious months living in gorgeous green Ireland – in lovely Kinsale. After a brief return to the States, we moved to pleasant Portugal to pursue residency and maybe citizenship. First, we moved to Albufeira in the country’s Algarve region. We stayed there for five months. Then, to Porto. We’d never even been to Ireland or Portugal before.
I stopped stubbing my toes.
In just over two months, we plan to move to beautiful British Columbia, on Canada’s West Coast. For the first time in almost three years, we will move toward a place where we know we want to build our life. We lived in Vancouver, B.C., for nine months before our big adventure started. During our twelve-month journey, we spent a month in Whistler, B.C., and two weeks in North Vancouver. Chris and I miss hiking beneath the area’s towering evergreens.
Portugal is pretty. There will be things I miss about life here. Art is everywhere. Writers are respected. Live music is everywhere. Violent crime is low. Life is affordable.
So why move?
Towering evergreens. Falling snow. Maple syrup. Knowing the words. Full-sized washers and dryers. Honeycrisp apples. Wide roads. Smoke-free apartment buildings. Smoke-free public spaces (outdoor dining included). Being closer to family.