Day 6 - No Turning Back

It’s amazing how much stuff you can accumulate over a decade and  a half. Some artifacts hold memories you're not willing to part with easily. Some items are necessities. Then there are things you didn't even know you had which make you wonder why and even how you got it in the first place. 

While still in the negotiating phase, we knew that housing transactions were moving quicker than usual, so if we were to need to move forward, it would be fast. Our realtor mentioned that in the current times, many moves had a thirty day window from the time an offer was accepted to the closing. Even though we anticipated a longer than usual negotiating phase, it didn't hurt to get started just in case.

Our goal was to clean and clear. One room at a time. Then, go back and start again. Simultaneously, it felt like we were repeating the negotiating process. Counteroffer, Wait. Hear back. Discuss. Repeat. 

With phone calls with the realtor and conversations with each other consuming every fiber of our being, we also had to prepare our children for a potential departure from the only neighborhood they've ever known. Though we didn't want to provide too much information, their clever curiosity made keeping things hidden from them an almost impossible task. We decided honesty was probably the best route. We wanted them to know that we were making decisions we felt were best for the future of the family. Sometimes those decisions were tough. Their reactions ranged across the board. Excitement. Confusion. Sadness. Denial.

At times, we second guessed if we were truly making the right and responsible decision. We were not too far from wrapping up our mortgage. Our neighbors were absolutely amazing people. Just about everything we needed and wanted was close. 

This new property would be a huge financial investment. We understood this was a sizable and stressful undertaking. Sacrifices would have to be made. But, the process was akin to trying to put the toothpaste back in the tube. Opportunities like this don’t come around every day. Once we got the notion of moving firmly planted in our heads, there was no turning back.