Changing Homes

It's a big effort to change locations. "What's wrong with where you are?" is a question you might hear. Most people like to hold still, liking the solidity of a known home, neighborhood, the people around you, your favorite grocery store. It feels safe.

I'm one of those people who loves where I'm at, for a while, and then it's time to move on. My brother, on the other hand, has lived in the same house, in the same small town, for almost 40 years. Did we really come from the same parents?

When I was younger, I moved a LOT. In the first 15 years I lived in Colorado, I moved 17 times. Gypsy feet. Looking back, pretty excessive, but it was fun while I did it.

Where we live now. If you do anything with horses, this is the place for you.

We've been in the house we're in now for going on 10 years. That is the longest I've lived anywhere, if you don't count the first 14 years of my life, when we lived in the same house on the same street with my cousins right next door. The furniture got rearranged a lot, though, and actually, the house changed quite a bit over the years, with my dad adding a porch, another bedroom, and a hallway through what had once been a pantry, among other things. My parents may not have changed location, but everything around it was fresh and new.

When Glenn and I bought this place, we thought this was where we were going to stay until the end of our days. However, our lifestyle has changed. Our needs have changed.

This house is HUGE. We live on 40 acres with five horses, three cats and three dogs. We used the downstairs for a place for clients to stay when they would come work with the horses. It's now a 2-bedroom + den apartment.

Our business is now more online and non-horse centric. We still have a retreat with the horses on the books for this summer, but it will be the last one at this location. We don't need all this space. We don't even need the horses for the most part. 

We're both older, and moving a little slower. We have no intention of stagnating, but we're 45 minutes away from the nearest hospital, and when you reach a certain age, dangit, you start thinking about that kind of stuff. How boring. How necessary.

So do we stay, or do we go?

We go.

We'd like to go to a warmer climate. We want to find a place where we can enjoy doing our business (some in person, but mostly online). Glenn and Huxley, the Enlightened Squirrel, are offering awesome art therapy. I get to talk with people and their animals. We're both finally following our passions rather than the almighty dollar. Gotta admit, I sleep better at night.

All of this is to say humans are not the only ones who get accustomed to a house, a place, the neighbors. Our animals do, too, especially the cats. I worry a bit about the cats, and when we finally do move (hopefully to our last place) we'll make sure to bring things along that the cats and dogs will remember, to give them comfort in their new location. New location, new rules, perhaps some restrictions. We need to find homes for the horses. It will work out. 

If you're thinking about making a move, make sure you keep your animals in the loop. The hardest thing for them is suddenly having their entire world turned upside down. If they are part of the selection process, they will be happier. Keep their needs in mind. Not just what you think they need, but what they tell you and show you they need. They will thank you, and your change of scenery will go a lot smoother. Or you can just rearrange the furniture and put a hallway through your pantry.

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To learn more about our business, go to https://harmonysheartcoaching.com and also https://harmonysheartanimals.com