City vs. Country

My wife and I have talked about many potential plans over the years.  We've tossed around all kinds of grand ideas, and not to brag, but we're full of them.

The problem with being full of big ideas, though, is that inevitably you have to know when to trash certain ideas to pursue the ones that you really feel passionate about.  That is, if you want to feel any sense of actual direction.

A couple of opposing ideas that we have entertained are:

1. Buying an urban building (preferably brick with tons o' character) that we could both live in while also having a shop where we could sell things.  We really want space to do all of our craftinesses (Yes. That is a word. According to me.).
2. Building a beautiful dream home on a little plot of land with room for all of our wished for things like a wood shop, greenhouse, auto shop, and dedicated craft room, etc.

The thing is, I wouldn't go considering myself a city boy.  I know my way around horses well enough, grew up running around in fields and woods collecting tick bites, am a hard working do-it-myself-er, and come from a long line of mumbling hunters and avid fishermen.  On the other hand, I can't really consider myself a country boy either.  I have spent the majority of my life within city limits, working indoors, and enjoying predominantly city things like coffee shops, sushi, art, etc.

Jodi's story isn't much different, though I would say that she had considerable more time in the country than myself.  Still, one wouldn't look at her and think that she is a country girl in any sense of the title.  Even people that know her pretty well are surprised to find out that she grew up as rural as she did.

Recently, we had a discussion.  For the first time we talked about the two very different desires that we both have had over the years.  And, after weighing our personal goals, considering the bulk of our passions, and examining our social wants and needs, we came to the conclusion that buying an urban building best fits our lifestyle.  Maybe we would build a home in the country at some point in the future.  Who knows?  But, for now, our next step is focusing our efforts towards this goal.  It feels great to be sure of what is next so that we can begin to move in that direction.

Posted in: autobiography,family,life