We have the dream now it’s time to put in the work. After three weeks in San Luis and the surrounding areas of south western Colorado we have narrowed down our land search and have a framework for next steps. Those next steps are hard and expensive. This homestead will easily be the thing we invest the majority of our time and money into for the foreseeable future. Which is a big, scary commitment but also what we want. We are not independently wealthy to make this happen quickly, there will be a lot of DIY and figuring-it-out as we go. So, a little over a year after becoming houseless, we are deciding to take a big risk that will begin to root us somewhere rural where we can see stars and wild horses almost daily. And as it turns out, making decisions for someone else’s life (my dad’s) was a lot more straightforward than figuring it all out for ourselves. We are back in Denver for a week or two for reliable internet and to get a solid plan into place.

Our life on the road has shaped so much of what kind of decisions we will be making going forward. From hipcamps to homesteads, eco ranches to barebones boondocking, we plan to incorporate elements from all of our stays into a place where our family and friends can come visit and feel welcomed. We’re super inspired by our friends doing regenerative farming, and will be looking into ways to incorporate such practices on our land when we start growing our own food. Mostly, this will be a connecting, holistic approach to engaging with the area we want to be rooted in.

While all of this plays out, Zach and I are looking for work we can do remotely. If you know of anything, send us your recs! We’ve got some expenses coming up that we want to be prepared for. The last year of living very scrappy and as minimalists has had a profound impact on us, but it was very much for a season that we know is wrapping up, I mean, we’re not going to go out and accumulate a bunch more stuff just for the heck of it, but we will be incurring more expenses than we have at probably any other time of our lives (I’ve not fully processed how I feel about this as it has yet to happen, but from someone who worries about money from time to time I could use some discerning and calming prayers.)

The kids are starting school online through Colorado Virtual Academy, we weren’t ready for in person school yet, and if we’re both working we can’t be as available for full time homeschooling, so virtual it will be. So far Camden loves 6th grade, and Natalie is waiting for the school to approve her IEP. Fortunately, it is mostly self-paced so nobody is missing out on anything.

That’s about it from here for now. We’re available for getting together while in the metro area, so reach out if you’d like to hang out!