We did it!
We bought a home. It's a 4 bedroom/2 bathroom house sitting on 2.5 acres of partially wooded land in Shelton, Washington (just outside of Olympia).
We bought a home. It's a 4 bedroom/2 bathroom house sitting on 2.5 acres of partially wooded land in Shelton, Washington (just outside of Olympia).
Escrow closed on Thursday.
Exactly 4 weeks of searching and 12 weeks of waiting through escrow, we are homeowners again.
Last month we drove for two days straight, breaking only to go to the bathroom, to get gas, or to sleep. We loaded our possession from the storage unit into the 6'x12' trailer we bought, the bed of Dan's truck and the back of my van. Anything that didn't fit was left in my mothers garage. We visited briefly with friends and family before headed back up to Washington state. Dan drove alone towing the trailer and I hauled the van with our boys. It was going to take three days to ride back with the extra weight.
This has been a long time coming.
A year on the road made us homesick.
Even before we sold our house in San Diego, we were homesick for somewhere different. Finding our "home" was the main purpose of our travels. We needed to find it. Early in our year long journey, we favored Washington after our brief stay in Kennewick. Something about the land and the people spoke to us, made us feel welcome.
As we drove away from my hometown, I felt no regrets, no fear. I only felt anxious to get back to my home. The realization hit me hard. I wanted to go home, and that place was In the Pacific Northwest.
As we crossed the California/Oregon border, I saw the landscape change and I felt a flutter in my heart.
Almost home.
The trees were tall and green, surround by thick yellow grass that reminded me of lions fur. After 15 hours of driving through dried and dead landscape, the sudden appearance of green actually brought tears to my eyes. The leaves were beginning to change colors, signaling fall was on its way. There would be a change of seasons, something that I never had growing up in San Diego.
The initial tears turned into a full-blown quiet sob as something in my tight chest loosened. I had been holding my breath for so long that I hadn't even realized I was doing it. I was happy. Optimistic. I longed to return to what my husband and I loving named "the land of the plenty." Where the streets are lined with wild blackberries & apple trees and the elk greet me each morning on my jog.
I missed the ocean breeze coming off of the Hood Canal and the friendly waves of everyone we pass. I missed the house I had seen exactly twice and the potential it held for our family.
Each mile brought us closer to our future, closer to ourselves. The last 50 minutes we spent driving up the long and winding road alongside the Hood Canal was an exhilarating homecoming. We felt grounded and anxious at the same time.
When we finally packed up our 5th wheel trailer for the last time, it felt bittersweet. It was our home for such a long time and brought consistency throughout our travels around the U.S.
We decided that we needed to sell our trusty rig because its just too big for small camping trips.
So we pulled out of the small RV park in Brinnon and headed towards Shelton to our new home.
When we finally packed up our 5th wheel trailer for the last time, it felt bittersweet. It was our home for such a long time and brought consistency throughout our travels around the U.S.
We decided that we needed to sell our trusty rig because its just too big for small camping trips.
So we pulled out of the small RV park in Brinnon and headed towards Shelton to our new home.
Driving out of our campsite in Brinnon, WA
We drove up to our new home and our realtor met us there to hand us the keys. I'm not going to lie, I cried. Happy tears of course. As I looked around our new property, I was overcome with gratitude and joy. The trees in the back yard were so beautiful and majestic. Then I spotted a full rainbow beaming through the sky. If that's not a perfect homecoming, then I don't know what is.
Rainbow in our backyard
We were acctually able to move into our new house before the official closing of escrow because the sellers were understanding of our need to put our son Daniel in Kindergarten. Just another amazing testament to the good graces of the Washington people.
Daniel going to his first school open house
Daniel is excited to meet his new teacher at open house
First day of school! The bus picked him up right outside our house
So finally, the last piece of the puzzle fell into place when the local Chiropractor offered me a job after Dan mentioned that I used to work in a Chiropractic office in San Diego.
It was fated.
And now I sit here typing the perfect ending to a not so perfect story of a family of four setting off on a year long adventure into the unknown. We went through so much during that time and I often questioned weather or not we had made a huge mistake. Of course there were good times as well and we reveled in the opportunity to see family and friends that we wouldn't have been able to see had we not embarked on this journey.
Yes, in hindsight, it's perfectly clear that it was all just as it should be. I don't want to get too preachy, but I think this past year we were guided by something much bigger than us.
If any of you are tempted to change your life by traveling outside your comfort zone, I would highly recommend it. Because as I've heard so many times before and now I know is true:
Everything you've ever wanted is on the other side of fear.
Do not be afraid to do what you desire.
Go for it!
Now, with full hearts we leave you all with a few more pictures of our new life.
Dan playing the Jurassic World video game with the boys in his new office
He may have gone a little overboard with his football set-up
A deer in our backyard
Tractor on the country road
Daniel found his pumpkin for this years jack-o-lantern
...and Caiden found his
So long and farewell from The Camerons...
