Packing

You'd think that we would be pros at this by now. I mean we HAVE moved 10 times in the last 12 years. Each time though, it seems, gets harder and harder.

Every time we move, we condense, we declutter, we sell stuff, we donate. How is it then, that every time I get ready to start the process again, it seems as if we have amassed more shit than we came with?!

When we rented this beach house it came fully furnished and decorated. It used to be a vacation rental and part of the deal of allowing us to rent it annually was that it stayed fully furnished (and decorated), because the homeowners didn't want to have to pay to store their belongings. When we met with our landlords before we moved in, I asked them if they would be okay with us redecorating...putting our own touches on things and they said absolutely. I am just not sure when they said yes, they realized that I was going to COMPLETELY take down the house. From the wall hangings, to the kitchen pots, pans and plates, to the towels to the bedding, to every little thing in between.

If you have visited us here, you know I take pride in telling you where I have hid away and stored all of the homeowners things. Under every single bed, behind the TV, at the top of every closet where I can't reach, in unused drawers...pretty much if there's a nook or a cranny, I have stuffed something in there.

Which brings me to my dilemma now...putting it all back together! EEK!

Unfortunately, I wasn't smart enough to take photos of how she had it decorated. I have a few photos from the rental listing but that's it. I have a rough idea in my mind of where things went but it's mostly going to be a, I am putting this here and I hope that you are okay with that, kind of thing.
So, I have to pack away all of our nice things and figure out how to put the house back together the way it was.

It's going to be strange living in the house for the next 4 weeks as I pack and transition it back. It will no longer feel like our home, but truly, what it is, a rental home. I thought I would be okay with living in someone else's home with someone else things but it's been a bit weird to be honest. Not having any of our own furniture, save for a few small bits and pieces, has been like being back in college.

I cannot wait to move into our new home and begin picking out pieces that make it feel like ours. I cannot wait to decorate it and put back out all of our personal things that make my heart smile.

As I pack away our personal photos and mementos, I will remember fondly the year we have spent at the beach. It has certainly been an adventure. But I am ready...ready to settle down with my husband in a place that we can call all our very own!

Now if I can just remember where I put that packing tape?!

Homeward Bound

We are officially homeowners in Texas! Again! LOL

It's been a whirlwind week for us here at Gypsy Central.

Our original plan for buying a house was to fly to Texas together on June 4th for a week of house hunting. Last weekend, an amazing house came on the market so we put in an offer remotely. Our realtor showed us the house by FaceTime and we decided to take the jump and put our hat in the ring.  There were 5 other offers on the house and we were outbid. We were bummed but knew that there was reason we didn't get it. Something else was out there waiting for us.

Monday morning, after I woke up, Mike called me into his office to show me a house he found online. We both were in love but thought it would be best if at least one of us went to actually see the house just to make sure, as it was in an area we weren't that familiar with. We also thought we should gather a list of homes to look at just to see all our options. So I texted our realtor with a list of 16 homes that we narrowed down to 11 and Monday evening I was on my way to Texas. First thing Tuesday morning the house hunt was on. It was a long day...11 houses is A LOT to look at in one day but our realtor was a champ. She put the house we were in love with in the middle of the day and once we pulled up I knew that it was our house. Walking through the front door, my heart skipped a beat. It was perfect for us! I knew Mike would love it too. It was everything we wanted when we decide to make the move back to Texas. Country charm on 1/2 an acre with a beautiful pool, lots of mature trees and privacy and a bonus, there is a garage apartment that is a perfect office for Mike. Sold!

Mike and I have been together 12 years. In those 12 years, we have lived in 10 different homes, in 8 different cities in 4 different states. We are adventurers and have had so many amazing experiences in these last 12 years. Someone asked me recently, how do I know where home is with all the moving around we do? I replied, home is where my husband is. Simple as that.

I picture family BBQ's by the pool. Sleepovers with the nieces. Having the older nieces come to visit and having big family dinners. I picture it being the place that everyone comes to when they need some comfort or some love or just some fun.

Home truly is where the heart is.

I cannot wait for our new adventure to start and for those of you who think we are crazy...well maybe we are but you can't say we aren't having any fun!

Speak It

Hey you! Yes, you! You are totally awesome and amazing! Just thought you should know that.

I am a true believer in sharing the love. It is so very important to let others around you know how you feel about them and celebrate their awesomeness! I always come back around to this quote because it really speaks to me. "If you see something beautiful in someone, speak it" Let them know. Don't hold it back. You never know whose day you will change with a kind word. There is enough hatred and anger and meanness in the world. Why not be the one who spreads positivity, optimism, light and love instead? I know that's what I would rather do.

So, you...yes, I'm still talking to you! You are perfect, just the way you are.

Happy Birthday Mom!

                    

Dear Mom,

Today is your birthday! Woo hoo! I know you are up there celebrating because that's what you do! Your birthday was always your favorite day of the year. Any excuse to celebrate and have fun was your thing! And don't worry, everyone remembers...even though you aren't here to remind us all every five seconds like you used to LOL

I know that you know how I feel about you. We were always good about that, sharing our feelings, never letting any moment go by without telling each other how much we loved each other. But I wanted to say thank you, again, for everything that you have given me.

I am who I am because of you. Your kindness, your compassion, your open heart, your love of life...all of these beautiful qualities, I owe to you. You taught me to always follow my heart. To be afraid but do it anyway. To face adversity with strength and grace. To have faith in the journey. And to love with everything I have in me. Thank you for that.

You were my confidante, and my biggest cheerleader. You listened and never judged. Everyday, I wish I could chat with you over a cup of tea about what's going on in my life. I want your advice. I want your hugs. I want to hear you laugh.

I will never stop missing you. I will never get over losing you. I have learned how to live with it but the deep aching pain in my heart will never leave me. You are gone. There's a hole where you used to be that nothing can ever replace.

But I also want you to know that I am so grateful and very happy! Having you as my Mom, even though it was cut way too short, was the BEST gift I have ever been given! I am so lucky to have been able to have you in my life, to teach me, to guide me and to love me.

So birthday girl...in your honor, I will kick off my shoes, crank up the tunes, and dance with wild abandon....and then I will eat chocolate!

Happy Birthday beautiful angel!

Wanderlust: Leading You Home

Sometimes it takes a while for your heart to catch up to your brain...or vice versa. Life's full of twists and turns. There are so many paths you can choose, so many journeys and adventures you can go on, and there is no right or wrong path to take. Just different ones. Each one leads you to unexpected experiences and outcomes that you never knew possible. It can introduce to things you never knew or remind of things you already did. Sometimes...the path can lead you back down a familiar road, one that you have already taken.

They call us the Gypsies. For good reason I suppose. My husband and I have been together for 12 years and have lived in 8 different homes and 4 different states. We are adventurers, risk takers, explorers. People joke that we often go somewhere on vacation and then we move there. They are not entirely speaking untruths. We learned long ago, from past experiences, that life is short and not guaranteed, so we choose to live our lives with joy and follow wherever our hearts lead us. Home is where we make it...as long as we are together. We have carved out this life for ourselves and have designed it in a way that makes it pretty easy to pick up and hitch up our gypsy wagon and move on to the next place, the next adventure.

For the past 8 months we have lived in paradise on an island on the Gulf coast of Florida. It has been so wonderful and we have had a blast. But paradise, my friends, is not a place, it's a state of mind. You can have paradise wherever you go if you choose to open your eyes and find it. Find the joy in the ordinary, open your heart, live life to the fullest and you will find that paradise lay within you all along.

Paradise can be found right where you left it...at home.

What is home? It means something different to everyone. To me, it means love, it means family. It doesn't necessarily mean a place you hang your hat. What makes someplace a home is who you get to share it with. The love and the laughter that fills the walls. Home to me is being wrapped in my husbands arms. As long as I am with him, I am home.

But...something has been missing for me for a while now. I can try and chase different dreams and see what fulfills my soul but I keep coming back to this one sticking point...family. I miss my family desperately.  After my Mom passed away in 2010 all I wanted to do was to escape. It was so painful of a loss that I just wanted to get away. So we moved...multiple times (lol) and each place we went was amazing! And I am not just saying that. It really is true. Each place we have experienced has taught me things about myself. Each place has shown me something new. Each place has gifted us with amazing people. Each place has opened my eyes to the world around me and for that I am grateful.

But I think it's time. I think it's time that I went back home. Not to the original place I called home but to the place where my most favorite people are.  I think y'all get where this post is going now...

After many long late night discussions with my husband, who is the most supportive man in the world and just gets me 100%, we have decided to hitch up our gypsy wagon, one more time, and head back to Texas. For as much as love adventuring, at the heart of who we both are, is two people who are homebodies. Love and family is at the core of what makes us tick.

We both want to be in the thick of it with our two nieces. School plays, choir concerts, music performances, first dates, drivers licenses, graduation, college, weddings. When they look back on their lives, I want them to know exactly just how much their Auntie and Uncle loved them and all of the great memories we made together. I don't want to just be someone who flies in for birthdays or holidays. I want to be a real part of their lives.

I know I don't need to explain myself to anyone but it's in my nature to share. My heart and my life are an open book. People may judge us for our decisions but the thing is, our life is our journey and its up to us to decide where we let it take us. As long as we are together we know it will be amazing.

It's up to all of us, to choose our paths and follow where our hearts lead. Life is too short to sit around and wait for tomorrow. Tomorrow may never come around. We only get one ride. Shouldn't it be filled with the stuff that makes our hearts sing?!

Dear Me....

A letter to my younger self....


Dear one,

Be brave. Life is difficult and you will experience heartbreak and sorrow of unimaginable proportions ...but you will survive. You are stronger than you think. Trust your gut. Don't be so afraid of everything. Try new things, take risks, and don't give up on yourself or dreams because things get hard. Keep trying. When one door closes, look for another one. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Don't let your heart be treated unkindly. You are amazing and kind and worthy of love. Always remember that.  Even when your heart is breaking into a million pieces, remember your worth. Shine bright and don't let anyone dull your sparkle. You are one of a kind, be proud of who you are. Share your heart with the world and spread love everywhere you go. Stop doubting yourself. Be gentle with yourself. No one is perfect and everyone is different, that's what makes the world so awesome. Believe in yourself and what you have to offer to the world. Love yourself, just as you are. Don't regret the past, choose to learn from it. Cherish time with loved ones because life is short and there are no guarantees. Your life will be filled with so many amazing things, never forget to be grateful. Have fun. Laugh a lot. Always be kind.

Love,  Me xxx

Love is all around

I know a lot of people are not fans of Valentines Day. That it's just another made up Hallmark holiday and those who don't have a special someone when the day rolls around, it's just another reminder that you aren't joining in the festivities with everyone else. I get it. I feel the same way about Mother's Day. Every year, it rolls around and I am slapped in the face with a reminder that my Mom is gone.

What if we chose to look at these holidays differently though?

What if, when Valentines Day comes around, we choose to celebrate love, in it's many forms? Love is all around us, we just have to open our hearts and look for it. It's in your best friends hug or your child's laugh. It's in the strangers smile on the bus. It's in your dogs sloppy wet kisses and tail wags. It's even in yourself! What if we spent the day surrounded by friends or family? Or we gave our dogs extra time at the dog park? Or we treated ourselves to a box of chocolates?

Spend the day spreading love everywhere. Goodness knows, this world needs more of that right now! Take the time to let the people in your life know how special and loved they are. Love exists, but sometimes it's just not in the way you think it should be.

This year, for me, when Mother's Day rolls around, instead of feeling sad that I can't be with my own mom, I will celebrate all the mothers that I am surrounded by. I have some amazing women in my life who also happen to be mothers. I will celebrate them and let them know how awesome of a Mom I think they are. I will spend the day remembering my own mother and all the fun times and love that she gave to me. I will remind myself of how lucky I was to have her, even if it was for way too short of a time. Not everyone gets blessed to have a mother like mine.  I might even eat some chocolate and have a cup of tea in her honor, which is not really a stretch for me, is it? :)

Instead of feeling bad on these days that sometimes remind us of things we don't want to be reminded of, maybe we can re frame it in a way that helps us celebrate the day in a different and unique way.

Life is hard. There's no reason to look for reasons to make it harder for ourselves. I am 100% guilty of this. I often see the bad side before I see the bright side, but when I do see the bright side...man, that's the stuff that reminds that the heart of life really is good!