August has come and gone, but the heat lingers, and recent rains have brought mosquitoes. The hits just keep on comin’ as we await the relief of autumn.
Week 1
August wasn’t all miserable, as we took a short break to visit Canada. We had a lovely week exploring backroads near Toronto and Niagara Falls. I wrote about that trip here.
Weeks 2, 3
Back to reality, we faced a pressing decision that had been looming large since the house sale fell through in March. What next? As you may recall from my sad tale, we had already rented and moved into a townhouse two weeks before the real estate debacle. With our impending two-month trip abroad, we had no time to turn around and move back to the house. Now, with time on our hands and blistering hot days in which to get things done (she said sarcastically), we decided to move again – back to Pebble Lane. This is the third time in four years that we have claimed this address as our residence. Don’t believe me? Catch up on our saga by reading the posts linked below about the first two moves to Pebble Lane. They say, ‘Third time’s a charm.’ I should mention that we also lived on Sovanna, Avelonlea, and Solange Ct. Six changes of address in four years!!! One that was completely unnecessary, but that’s spilt milk.
We took our time with the current move, doing much of it ourselves, before the Movers collected our furniture. It was nice to spend time organizing the kitchen, our clothes closets, and garage shelves. But by the time the furniture arrived, we were exhausted with all the back and forth. It took another week to fine-tune the details, but by the end of the month, it felt like home. This is actually the first time I have been able to say that in a long while, ‘it feels like home.’
There is one catch. The house is still for sale since we signed a contract with a Realtor that extends through February 2026. If it sells, we will vacate once again. If it doesn’t, we will reevaluate our circumstances and are currently leaning toward renovating and staying put for a while.
Week 4
My focus on living began to return this week, as I reestablished a healthy routine and set a few attainable goals. After one week of achieving goals, my energy is returning, and I feel optimistic again. It is amazing how a few gloomy weeks or a small crushing setback can knock me off balance and how introspection, physical labor, routine, and security can restore it.
In addition to the new energy obtained through resetting my workout routine and settling into a real home, having travel plans to look forward to keeps me energized. First up is another quick getaway with friends in October. We will fly to Louisville, KY, and tour the Bourbon Trail once again. This will be our third tour, and our second with friends. We love playing tour guide in a place we have come to know well, and our friends are anxious to see what the fuss is all about. I wrote about our last Bourbon Trail trip here.
We will spend two weeks in Scotland and France during December, and the kids will join us for Christmas week. Then in March, we are off to Australia and New Zealand for back-to-back cruises and a few days to explore NZ on our own before boarding the first cruise. Most of that work is done, but we still have to book excursions.
I am looking forward to September, staying the course, and getting back to life on Pebble Lane.
Moving, not for the timid Move to Pebble Lane #1
Springtime Chat Move to Pebble Lane #2
Picture Retirement 
One thing that is for sure is that you have to be an expert at packing. Not only of homes but suitcases as well. You have a busy schedule, hope all goes as planned.
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Karen, we are indeed packing experts. I would like to give up the day job and stick to travel packing for the next few years. We’ll see.
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I would think that with all that moving, clutter would be minimal. That’s a possible bright side. And, given how much you plan to travel, it seems like a new home would require more time that you have – at least in the short term. I envy your cruise of Australia and New Zealand. That is on my bucket list, so I’ll be reading your posts with high interest. Thanks for your August update, and I hope it cools down soon. I’m hoping those mosquitoes are gone by the time we get to Big Cypress in mid-November. Happy almost Fall!
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Betty, that is our logic at this point, that it makes sense to keep things simple. In retrospect, we never should have left Pebble Lane, but when neighbors knocked on our door with a proposal to purchase, we listened. Big mistake. Hopefully, the mosquitoes will be long gone by the time you arrive at Big Cypress.
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It sounds like you guys will be busy travelers, but it sounds fascinating.
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Dan, we are attempting to do as much as we can, while we can. That window is closing quickly. Have a great week.
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Suzanne, I’m exhausted reading about your move! I’m glad to hear you have started to get your energy back and are becoming optimistic about life again. Enjoy each day and have fun in your travels.
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Beth, moving is both physically and emotionally draining. Six times in four years – who would have thought it? Anyway, we feel settled for now and will just wait and see what happens. The market is still wonky for both buyers and sellers in our area. It feels good to feel good again.
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so glad it feels like home and oh my goodness – the many moves do sound like a crazy ordeal and I need to catch up on the posts – but glad your energy is returned or returning and you sure do model that you can adapt.
Also, another reminder that moving is HARD work – even if local or to a familiar residence –
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I love change, but the past four years caught up to me when the sale fell through last March. We had big plans that didn’t include owning a home for a while, and that setback sucked the wind out of both of us. Now, it seems like a realistic option, so we’ll see. Frequent travel is still our priority for the next two to three years. Thanks for stopping by.
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Wow, Suzanne, August was definitely full of changes for you. I’m glad you were able to get some traveling in (and are looking forward to more). Moving homes once is exhausting… moving multiple times in four years – Yipes! Like Betty said, you have probably nixed most of any clutter you had, but there is still a lot of stuff we “need” just to live our normal lives.
Yay for reestablishing healthy routines! It’s so easy to get thrown off course.
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Hi Janis, we have streamlined our belongings over the years, but still have a storage unit of ‘what ifs’ that we will deal with at some point. Should we end up staying and renovating the house, we will want to claim a few boxes and jettison the rest. If only we’d had a crystal ball four years ago…
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Life likes to throw us curve balls at times doesn’t it Suzanne? You sound very pragmatic and accepting of the move back and I’m sure things will resolve themselves either way over the next 6 months. It’s so good that you enjoy travelling and can have a break or two (or three!) away from all the unsettling house moving. And good on you for putting some positives back into your life to balance all the uncontrollable parts. x
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Leanne, making order out of chaos has become second nature for the two of us, but I can honestly say that this was a move we would have never envisioned. Travel was always in the plan, so thankfully, we have that, and now we have a secure landing zone between trips. Life is good.
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Wow, I’m feeling tired just reading about all the changes and moves Suzanne, but glad to hear you’re feeling more settled and contented. “Home” is a nice state of being isn’t it. Enjoy and I hope September is a calmer, settled and happy month!
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Hi Miriam, home is a nice state of being. Thanks for stating that perfectly. September is shaping up to be both productive and fun. Thanks for dropping by.
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That’s a lot of (real) moving in the last four years. Exhausting! I’m glad you’ve found your energy and lust for life back.
I can totally relate to the “focusing to get things done and organized and not really living” feeling. But for me it’s different. This – too frequent – feeling either comes in full-time work for weeks to reach a deadline or driving a lot to get to places. Both require feeling like you’re on automatic and not really living, let alone enjoying life.
Let the temperatures cool and the return to normal begin! 🙂
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Liesbet, we have managed to carry on through the turmoil of trying on different abodes for the past four years. We have had some wonderful adventures and a few regrets, but life has been good. Our story is nothing compared to your life during the past few years. I know you are trying, and my fingers are crossed that you’ll sell the RV and settle down (if only for a while) in a place where you feel at home. Life is an adventure, no matter where you are.
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It seems making the decision to move back to Pebble Lane has helped you to feel more settled and stable. But it’s tough that you have to leave it on the market until February if your thinking now is that you’d like to stay for a bit. It’s a long while since we had a house move but I’m pretty sure that over here you can take your property off the market at any time if your plans have changed.
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Sarah, we can technically break the contract, but we will have to pay the Realtor a hefty fee. We have already done that with our landlord when we broke the rental lease, so throwing more money out the window doesn’t sit well right now. The buyers (who didn’t) put us in a pickle when they balked on the closing date. Anyway, we are seeing ways to make Pebble Lane home. We just don’t want to take things too far in case we get an offer we can’t refuse.
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I hope it all works out well for you – you must be a bit fed up with moving so much!
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Sarah, in the beginning, it was fun, but now I’m ready to be settled.
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It was nice to see your comment about it feeling like home. I know it’s not your ideal space, but I hope you can make it your own.
But, 6 address changes in such a short time…. I’m amazed your mail finds you! I chuckled a bit as the one thing on our lot is still the mailbox; we have not changed address on anything except Amazon delivery.
There’s a song in my head about a pebble… “I put a pebble in my shoe and watch me walk, I can walk. I shall call the pebble dare.” I’ve always collected pebbles when I walk, so living on Pebble Lane would appeal to me! I, on the other hand, being in Pinellas County, (will once agian) live on 161st Ave. Which just confuses people often… 161 street avenue?
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Pat, you crack me up. We have all our important mail go to a P.O. box, but we still NEED AMAZON deliveries, so yep, we’ve changed six times in four years. I forgot to update my Shutterfly account and sent one of my memory books to an old address. Fortunately, the landlord of that residence retrieved the book for me. Mail is just one piece of the puzzle. There is internet and cable hookup, insurance policies, friends, and family to notify, the list is endless. Maybe Pebble Lane is our lucky charm.
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Well you just gotta take whatever life throws at you! Which might even include bumping into us two as we’ll be in NZ in April!
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We arrive on March 13 and return home on April 12th. It would be cool if our paths crossed. Technically, we chose most of what has happened these past four years; it was just the last move that the cosmos interfered with. Still a little miffed about that, but adjusting. Trips help a lot.
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As soon as I comment, I need an energy bar after reading this. 🙂 I’ve been through the ‘buyer didn’t close,’ and it’s horrendous. I did not know one would owe a realtor a hefty fee if a listing was canceled so that was a learning moment. I’m an introvert, and if I’d had to move residences that many times, there is no way I’d pack a bag for traveling. So, it’s good you must be extroverts and can take advantage of your love for travel adventures. I’m guessing you will keep active and your minds busy planning your travels and the next six months will go by quickly. Happy September.
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Judy, the ‘Realtor Fee’ was new to us. I think it must be a recent addition to contracts, or maybe it’s just our area. The explanation to us is that the Realtor incurs fees associated with professional photos, advertising, open house sitters, etc. with no guarantee of a commission. The Realtor is already pushing to lower the price because we aren’t getting traffic, but we plan to hold fast. A sale will have to be completely on our terms.
Malcolm is an introvert, and I am more of an ambievert, but we both enjoy adventure. The moves are mostly in the rear-view mirror for us, as we turn our energy toward the next chapter. We don’t have a bucket list or a desire to travel to exotic out-of-the-way places, but we do enjoy piecing together a great itinerary of beautiful places and having it unfold as planned. You are right, six months will fly by.
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Wishing you blessings with your upcoming travel plans! It sounds like Christmas will be very special. It is cooling down a bit now in Virginia, and that has been a wonderful thing. It was too hot this summer to do much gardening, and I really missed that. However, our Hibiscus flowers have done amazingly well…nice and tropical for them!!!
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Linda, Hybiscus love the heat and humidity. I’m glad they are putting on a good show for you. I envy the cooler weather and look forward to having it arrive here. Yes, Christmas should be special with the kids. It’s just the four of us now, with Malcolm’s mom passing last year, so there is no need to stay home. Trying something different… Thanks for stopping by.
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Suzanne,
Six moves! Moving turns me into a Grizzly Bear with teeth bared. So glad that’s behind us for, hopefully, a long time. Nevertheless, it certainly seems that you and Malcolm have learned how to turn lemons into lemonade. Drop a slice into some Bourbon, sip slowly, and you’ll be fine. Have a great weekend, and please stay in touch. Joe
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What a story! In my experience nothing goes smoothly when it comes to real estate transactions, so I’m glad you’re finding your way forward. Pebble Lane seems like it’s your destiny.
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