Posted in Homestead or Bust

When we were finally preparing to move, I could have easily convinced anyone and everyone that we had found and were moving to Mayberry.  Our quaint neighboring small town (population 2,000) had all the makings complete with its typical southern main street, one restaurant, one drug store and one beauty shop surrounding the ever prestigious court house in the middle of its town square.  Even our sheriff had a framed photo of Barney Fife on the wall in his office.  How could it be anything less?

That’s what a good pair of rose colored glasses will do for you.

However, the long reality and truth of the matter is there is no Mayberry – not even in my beloved South!  I had forgotten all of the why’s and how’s of our move.  Not only did I want to believe that the Mayberry concept existed, I was at a point in my life where I needed to believe it existed.  While we were pursuing our homestead dream and following God’s lead for our lives, we were leaving our native home – a city that no longer felt like home.  We were moving away from our family that had mixed emotions about our move, our many friends, and leaving lots of good neighbors with this move.  Also during the months of building, we lost my mother ‘n law to her long and suffering battle with leukemia and the emotional roller coaster had taken its toll on all of us.  She would never see our new home, this land and the life we wanted to build and live.

I needed a Mayberry.

During the first year of our move to the Dirt Road, while we settled into our new home, we still had to commute back and forth to metro-Atlanta monthly until our old house finally sold.  Also during this first year, it became obvious all too quickly that we were and forever would be outsiders.  Through a myriad of events that unfolded and lessons of reality for this nostalgic optimist, it became clear that I had long forgotten why we wanted to move, how our move was made possible and that we moved for our family, our homesteading dream that only God made possible and we did not move for the town of 2,000 that I believed would be just like me.

I say all this to those who are still planning and preparing to move:

• Remain steadfast in prayer for God’s plan for your family and your move.
• Return to your initial goals time and again to keep them fresh in your mind.
• Remember that only second to His plan, your family is the focus of your move and the life you build.
• Have few, if any, expectations of the community or neighboring towns you will live near.
• Moving, getting settled and meeting new neighbors and potential friends takes time – often longer than we think.  My experiences as well as others, most likely, will not be another’s experience and vice versa.
• The World exists even in the smallest of towns.
• While packing to move, consider throwing away all your rose colored glasses - or at least forget where you put them!

 HomesteadBloggers ~ share your moving experiences.  Blog about your move - any trials but especially your successes.  Leave a link to your blog post here in the comments section.

Have a great week!

Harriette

Harriette Jacobs is wife to Alan and homeschooling “Mom” to their two sons, ages 14 and 12.  The Jacobs family moved in December 2003 to East Central Georgia – NOT Mayberry. They raise heritage breed chickens and live with their four dogs and a herd of farm cats!

Visit Harriette at:

South of the Gnat Line

http://www.homesteadblogger.com/southofthegnatline

Or at:

Jacobs Academy: A Dirt Road Education

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/jacobsacademy