Monday, March 26, 2007

Breaking News

There comes a time when you know when there are big decisions to be made. Often this is when your world decides it is time that it should drop broad hints about work/life balance and not enough time to do anything properly. The body begins to react to that extra bit of stress and your mind decides to go awol when trying to remember names, words etc.

So this last month or so we have battled with some of this and circumstances have arisen, doors have opened (figuratively) and almost overnight we are planning to move!

This move will be very special. Others have done it before us, now it is our turn. Do you see where I am going with this?

One question – how does one down size from a large 4-bedroom house to a 57-foot narrowboat?

Answer; there is no room for sentimentality or holding on to possessions.

Now you must have guessed. We have the boat – built to live on, we have the opportunity – a mooring on which we can be “live a boards” as from 1st April and we are going to do it! We will still be at Devizes Marina, will still need to work for a while but we will be able to spend more time together, time on the Kennet and Avon and aim to have a more simple, less stressful lifestyle.

It has been interesting to follow the blogs of those of you who are already living aboard, either cruising or in a marina. We look forward to sharing similar experiences, hopefully only the good ones!

Does anyone want a houseful of furniture, useless nick nacks, endless books, too many pictures, an over abundance of clothes (mine, not BJ’s!)? I think the local charity shops will do well. EBay may be useful, perhaps the answer is some sort of sale. The whole experience may very well be cathartic for us both.

So raise a glass to us and wish us luck and good fortune as we enter yet another stage of our lives. We aim to enjoy it whilst we are both fit and comparatively healthy.

6 comments:

  1. What can I say but the very best of luck? My husband and I want to do exactly the same thing but it may be 5 years or so off yet so I'm very jealous. Will continue to follow your exploits even more closely.

    Best wishes

    Sarah

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  2. Hi Sarah,
    thanks very much for your good wishes. Things have happened very fast. we hope you will acheive your dream too,
    Fiona

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  3. Wishing you lots and lots of luck....good for you! Its all about quality not quantity! We're in the process of doing the same, although our boat won't be ready until the end of the year/early 2008. Will look out for you when we eventually get to travel the K&A. Keep blogging to let us follow your progress, and tips on how to dispose of years of 'stuff' !!
    Congrats on living the dream
    Del & Al

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  4. Good Luck for your downsizing!
    When we moved to San Diego From England we had a container to put our home in. Most of our stuff was books as we could not take electrical things and our furniture was too old to bother taking!
    We had a garage sale and gave a lot away to friends!

    ttfn jane

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  5. Thank you Del and Al and Jane,
    it is always great to get comments as
    blogging can be to an unknown end. It is a mystery as to who is reading ones thoughts and it is great to interact - as they say!
    We will continue with our saga,
    Fiona

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  6. Wish you all the best. I suppose, from now on boating memories will be the possessions, and they would be fine in the space afforded by a Narrowboat. Wish you happy boating.

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