On The Road Again, Chapter 11

Our dream has become our destiny. We followed our intuition to come to Santa Fe, New Mexico and we made it happen. As you have been reading in my blog, this has not been easy. We couldn’t have done it without the help of friends and family (some of whom joined us for Father’s Day Brunch at Harry’s Roadhouse in Santa Fe).

I think back when Robert decided to retire from pool building two years ago, and we knew we couldn’t afford to retire in California. His desire to focus on his art lead us to Santa Fe. It was a brave and bold decision. But we knew it was a good decision! Everyone who has moved later in life knows what it takes to shed the clutter, stage and sell your house, pack, and move to a new place. Some people know where they’ll be living before they move. We didn’t. Hence…we walked into the mystery and trusted that the universe would manifest what we dreamed about in our minds…

The Universe Manifested Our Dream

Here’s what happened. June 20th was the deadline for removing contingencies to purchase the house, so we decided to counter with a price reduction based on the conclusions of the house inspection. The seller had already agreed to lower his price once and we knew he wanted the sale to go through as much as we did, so we took this chance. All he could say was “No.” Or, he could say “Yes.”

I held my breath all day, as the seller was at work and wouldn’t have a chance to review the counter offer and the accompanying inspection report and work estimates until that evening. They promised to make a decision the next day.

Robert and I were anxious the next morning so we went to the gym. I’m finding that the gym has been the perfect way to release stress and anxiety. The bonus is we’re getting back into shape for all the trail hiking and biking we’re looking forward to doing.

My phone rang while I was on the rowing machine, and it was our realtor, Vanessa. She said the seller agreed to half the reduction price, but the seller’s realtor didn’t want to write up a formal response until Vanessa spoke to us. I was inclined to agree to half, but Robert looked at me and shook his head. He said we needed to get the entire reduction. So, we sent the realtors back to work with the seller for the full reduction. Later that day we heard back that the seller said “YES!” We would get the full reduction and the deal was set.

The negotiation was completed. Done. We will be able to take possession on July 16th. We got everything on our dream list, and so much more. A huge relief!

We partied that night! Robert and I went to an art opening that night, and afterward, met friends at a beautifully renovated hospital — turned into a Drury Hotel bar/restaurant on the rooftop.

The Drury Hotel in downtown Santa Fe

My husband getting photo bombed on the rooftop!

Our Next To The Last Move

After the euphoria of finalizing the house purchase wore off, I realized that we actually had to move again to a rental house before our final destination. Sigh..this would be our 4th move. Ugh. I’m so over packing up our computer equipment, paperwork, office supplies, drafting table, clothing, pantry and fresh food, and Rita’s two beds. So, I started to get anxious, a little irritated, and just overall grumpy. I remembered how our friends have been so amazed that Robert and I have been able to stay so level-headed and positive throughout this journey, and if nothing else, I didn’t want to disappoint our friends by losing my mind. So, I just decided to put one foot in front of the other and get it done.

I think I mentioned this before, but I’ll say it again, the coincidences and signs that this journey is being handled efficiently by our angel team just keep coming. This next to the last move to a new rental came about because we terminated the first real estate deal and that left us with nowhere to live in July. As soon as we terminated the deal, I hurriedly went online to find a house to rent, and all but a handful of qualified rentals were taken (pet friendly, would rent for a month or longer, etc.). I emailed the renters directly and told them about our situation. Only two home owners replied to me, and the second home was too far north of Santa Fe, so that left one qualified home to rent. They were willing to rent to us for a month, accept our dog, Rita, and it was a very unusual house — a geodesic dome designed and built by an architect inspired by Buckminster Fuller (aren’t they all?). This would be interesting! I’ve always wondered what the interior of a dome home was like, and we would know soon enough! We rented the house from June 30-July 31.

I mentioned there was a coincidence. Here it is: at the time we rented this geodesic dome, we hadn’t even looked at the property we eventually purchased. Turns out the geodesic dome is located on the same road as our new property! What are the odds of that? That means when we take possession of our new property on July 16th we’ll be able to operate from the rental house, getting the house cleaned, PODs delivered and unloaded, and unpack boxes, all before having to move in. That’s going to be such a big help. So, a mighty THANK YOU to our angel team!! Nicely done!!

Dome Living

In case you, too, are curious, here are photos of the geodesic dome we rented on VRBO. We moved in just two days ago, per this writing, and we’re still getting settled in. Clearly, this mid-century modern interior was not meant for people to bring in a lot of boxes and clothing. But we have managed to make ourselves at home despite the clutter we brought. The owners, Jay and Josephine, couldn’t be nicer. It’s so nice that they’ll be our neighbors soon. The property is literally next to an open space preserve with walking/biking/riding trails. This is one of the reasons we wanted to buy the property about 1.5 miles up the road! From the dome we can just walk out the door and onto the trail. Wow!

The geodesic dome house

Living room with picture windows

Newly renovated kitchen (IKEA — nice!)

Newly renovated bathroom

Oblong shape of dome structure

 

Gorgeous sunsets and view of the open space preserve

We’ve got everything lined up for the week we take possession of the property. First, we have a house cleaner coming to clean. Then, the next day, a carpet cleaner will clean the two rooms that are carpeted. After that, the PODs are scheduled to be dropped off from storage in Albuquerque. Finally, the movers will come and carry all our furniture and boxes inside the house. Remember, we got rid of a lot of our furniture, so I think our house will look fairly empty for a while until we buy new pieces. We have a list of the furniture we’ll need, and we’ve already started looking in the consignment stores.

In the next chapter I’ll write about taking possession of the new house. Let’s see if we can stay cool, calm, and sane!