Ready for the next phase!
I’m soon to the end the “sans-domicile-fixe” phase that began when I sold my house in January 2022. My house was also my business, as I operated it as a bed and breakfast. I’d been spending winters in Quintana Roo since 2015, and imagined I’d move there once I sold up. But I changed my mind during the pandemic. I was aiming for France, but had little idea of WHERE. I thought I’d take two years to find my new home. Slight miscalculation: It’s taken me a full four.
And I am loving this life, these years. My home in Virginia was, to me, a paradise. But it was in the country … yes, imagine, after two decades in Manhattan, I was enjoying fresh air, sound sleep, loads of flowers and organic produce from my garden, the company of a great dog and car. Yet I am, heart and soul, a city person. Now I travel repeatedly and at whim to Paris, London, Brussels, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Vienna, Milan, Istanbul, Stockholm, …. throw in a bit of Spain, more of Turkiye and Germany, and many cities and towns in France. I am thrilled beyond words.
So, I’ve just overseen the transfer of my household goods from storage in Virginia to a shipping container bound for Le Havre. I am working on packing up all the clothes, shoes and odds and ends of household things I’ve kept with me in Missouri these 4-plus years. In a couple more weeks I should have it all shipped.
I started this blog to share my house-hunting and mostly-solo travel adventures. I’m not going to stop traveling, but I will be more focused on getting settled. What am I saying!? Settled? Let’s just say, established with a home where I can welcome friends. Will let you know when!
Looking back over these “happily homeless” years
2022: Moved furnishings into storage. Established my interim residence with my brother and sister-in-law near St. Louis. After a quick trip to Mexico, I head to Europe. I land in Vienna for opera, and then make my first visits to Budapest and Turkiye. I look up many friends during the year.
2023: my first visits to Morocco and Andalucia, more time in Turkiye, several opera trips, and a birthday beyond all dreams in Iceland
2024: finally starting to house-hunt, the big question being, Where in France? Interspersed with visits to friends, opera and theater getaways
2025: I’ve chosen where I want to live, but house-hunting can be overwhelming, so I keep taking breaks to see friends and attend concerts.
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