The "Finally Home" Edition
Happy Friday, friend.
I’m coming to you this morning sitting criss-cross applesauce with my Macbook perched atop a makeshift desk/table/park bench in the living room/kitchen/dining room of our new home. HOME! After 254 days of #ontheroadagain living, searching, and adventuring, I’m finally home. I have to tell you, it feels absolutely wonderful, maybe even perfect, like one of the biggest, deepest, most profound exhales of my life.
We closed on our new-to-us house in western Maine on Tuesday morning. By early afternoon, we had unloaded the U-Haul and were surrounded by boxes, bags, and stuff spilling everywhere. By 10 pm, we had the kitchen unpacked and fully functioning, all of our mattresses fluffed, and the snuggly sheets and duvets were ready for sleeping. By yesterday, we had most things organized into piles for sorting. Today, we have so much left to do, but we’re headed out on the hunt for ways to turn this house into a home we’ll love for hopefully a long, long time.
The makeshift desk/table/park bench I’m sitting behind as I write this is the only piece of furniture right now. It’s gorgeous, handmade by my favorite woodworker/artist/art school student (our oldest son), but we know it’s time to get serious about furniture shopping. Our sore feet and backs are telling us we can only live “camping style” for a short time, and we’re desperate to sprawl out on a comfy couch and eat a family meal at a real table. We’ll get there.
Still, even in this in-between moment, I have to admit, this house already feels like home to us. The connection to nature and the mountain views are completely taking my breath away. It’s better than anything I had in mind when we sold our house on Mount Desert Island last August and set off on a find-your-own-adventure kind of home search.
I hope to share more about how it all came about and what I’ve learned over these past eight months very, very soon. (I have loads of notes in my journals and on the Notes app on my phone bursting to get themselves into a giant blog post.) For now, I’d love to share a few photos of our new corner of the world ⤵
And of course, five little things (with all the links) ⤵
Something good to read. . .
I’m currently reading The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit. It’s a nonfiction account of how “in 1986, a shy and intelligent twenty-year-old named Christopher Knight left his home in Massachusetts, drove to Maine, and disappeared into the forest [and] would not have a conversation with another human being until nearly three decades later, when he was arrested for stealing food.” (from Bookshop.org) The whole shocking thing took place just down the road from where we’re living now in western Maine, which makes the story that much more poignant to me. It’s great on audio, too, by the way. Highly recommend. (Link here)
Something fun. . .
A gentle question for you: When was the last time you allowed yourself to be completely, truly, deeply surprised in the best kind of way? It can be difficult to do, especially with so much unpleasant uncertainty going on in the world right now. But I dare say surprise multiplies joy when we allow it. I recently gave myself this gift in the form of not allowing myself to tour our new house until closing day. (Yes, you read that right — I did not set foot inside our home until one hour before we went to sign the papers.) Instead, I viewed the photos online and asked my husband to do the in-person tour and inspection, keeping my own in-person experience a surprise for closing day. More on why I chose this later, but for now, let me just say the surprise multiplied my joy exponentially. (Also, my husband is a freaking rockstar at this kind of thing and knows me really well.)
Something delicious. . .
In my favorite daily reader, Simple Abundance, the month of May is all about nesting and building contentment into a person’s life by enjoying one’s own home. I’m loving the synchronicity of every day’s entry right now but especially this: “Interestingly, did you know the name of the greatest lover of all time, Casanova, means 'new house’?” (from Simple Abundance, page 176) Please accept my apologies if this quote makes you long for a new home when you really can’t move right now. Maybe you can channel those longings into turning your current home into something new. Also, read on . . . there’s something I’m curious about that might just help you channel those longings in a new way.
Something I’m curious about. . .
At the start of this year, I made a promise to myself to be more open in whatever ways presented themselves to me. Since then, I’ve found opportunities around every corner to choose between “I’m open” and “that’s not possible” and I’m happy to say that although I wouldn’t give myself a 100% on keeping my promise, I’ve chosen the open option more than ever before and it’s turning out really, really well. One of the biggest ways this is manifesting currently is by letting go of my one house search non-negotiable, “Our new home needs to be on the water, warm if possible,” and opening myself to the possibility of something I might just love even more ~ making our home on top of a mountain in Maine. It’s a longer story than just being open (I’ll share more later), but I’m really curious what else might happen if we open our minds and hearts to other things, too. If you’re reading this and have thoughts to offer, email me.
Something good in the news. . .
This week, the state of Maine won a lawsuit allowing the continuation of federal funds to feed children and vulnerable adults (article link here). Governor Janet Mills, committed to this fight for defending states’ rights, added, “These bullying tactics, we will not tolerate them.” With so many horrifying accounts of ICE raids on innocent humans and other unconstitutional, cruel acts by our current administration in the news on a daily basis right now, this is a bright spot I’m clinging to.
💛
Wherever you are this morning, whatever’s on your mind and in your heart, I hope you’re able to feel a big exhale this weekend, too. I hope you’re surrounded by people you love and finding places and things you love around every corner. I hope you’re thriving, my dear. And if you ever want a listening ear, I’m here.
Sending love from the mountains,
Celeste
