ok - now i want to leave a comment on the actual CONTENT of the post! hehehe since the other comment was more about advice and help! and dreemport stuff hahaha
but the "perfect plan" problem.. ohhhhhh. yes.
I am such a huge proponent of 'DO NOT WAIT FOR THE PERFECT PLAN - THERE IS NONE!'
hahah once we just get going with A plan... not THE plan... then we can adjust it to the better plan each day
Because after all - isn't life all about following a life-long plan? so since life changes - the plan must as well!
and i love that you're also looking for "the land"
oh man. since i was 11 - i had a vision of "the land" that I wanted. I even got my kids and some dreemers to get bitten by this bug too heheh
as you read from my latest post... its a vision in the making. we aren't ready to purchase yet - but every day i can taste it a little bit more! hehe
i love so much of what you said in this post!!! (as you know from my previous comment) but i'll just stop this comment here and go read more from you! :)
Your thoughts on the "perfect plan" really hit home. When I embarked on my nomadic adventure, I had just finished my studies. Instead of seeking a conventional job, I wanted to carve out my own path, so I became a freelancer.
At the same time, I bought my first converted van with savings I had accumulated over the years, including pocket money and birthday gifts from my grandparents. Thankfully, I've never been a big spender, so I had a decent amount set aside.
I used almost all of these savings to buy a used converted van. However, things didn't go as planned. I faced numerous mechanical issues with the van, and with my limited knowledge in mechanics, it turned out to be quite costly.
Simultaneously, being a new freelancer meant that my monthly income was unpredictable, ranging from 0 to 500 euros (which is roughly the same in dollars).
So, my transition took much longer than expected. This experience taught me that indeed, the "perfect plan" doesn't exist. It's good to have a direction, but life ultimately shapes the path we take.
As for your dream of finding the "ideal land", I truly hope you find your little piece of paradise!
In some ways - the way you started out reminded me of how we started out as a family
we moved to California - kind of quickly! hahaha long story there - but we had the opportunity and we ran with it. no job - just moving with my parents - deciding to all live together for a year until we got our feet under us and see what happened!
that's a tale for another time... but the reality of California living was a culture shock. The house we all rented for the first year was worth 650,000 when we first moved there. The housing market SKYROCKETED and that same house at the end of our rental year was worth 1.2 million.,
so the prospect of us buying really changed.
and you'd think that well... what the heck are you thinking dreem? of course you'll need 2 incomes and send your kids to school and all that.
but we chose to have me stay at home, homeschool, and live on one income. and remember - we started all over again - so it wasn't like hubby had this great career hahaha
but you know the thing is... people can OFTEN make these choices. and just rearrange their lives and make it work.
but fear stops a lot of people. I'm not saying that i'm so brave hahaha fear stops me from doing things today too.... but... i'm saying - if you just decide to do it! you're usually SO shocked that things CAN work out.
and yes - you have the pitfalls (like your van and your limited mechanic skills - and lots and lots of pitfalls along our journey too)
but that's how you learn! hahaha you get kicked out the nest and better hope those wings can hold you! hhaha and they often do!
that's kinda what my latest post was about. Like you with your limited van knowledge - i feel the same about my knowledge of repairs and building. and hubby is a chef - so his knowledge was not really the typical man's man knowledge in that area either. hahaha but now - we are forced to either TRY on our own to learn these things in practice, OR... always be in a position to hire repairmen.
maybe it will end up being a little of both hahaha but - the point is... if we hold ourselves back by always saying " well i don't know this/that" then we never will learn this/that.
so - i like people like us! hhaha that are at least willing to step out. and we each step out into different things! the landing spot doesn't matter. the leap is what connects us!
The skyrocketing real estate prices you experienced are staggering! It shows how even the best-laid plans can be upended by external factors. Your decision to live on a single income and homeschool is truly brave and admirable.
And you're right, it's this willingness to take the leap, regardless of where we land, that connects us. Thank you for sharing your story. It gives me even more confidence to continue exploring and learning on my own path!