T-Minus 17 Days

Seventeen days left until Christy and I leave Allenstown, NH to begin our big adventure. And almost as exciting - only seven days left to work. Our plan:

• Stay w/ Christy's parents in Charlotte, NC while searching for property in Floyd, Va (http://www.floydvirginia.com/)
• Lots of visiting with family: Christy's parents Jim and Linda and sister Nancy, and my family in Durham and Wake Forest, NC: my brother Adrian and his partner Keith, brother Roney and his wife Beatriz and two daughters Parisa & Bianca (& Micah on the way), and last but certainly not least mein mutti und ihr ehemann Ron
• Buy property: 4+ acres of very rural, rolling topography, wooded lot
• Live in a camper while we build our house out of mostly renewable materials - reclaimed and/or FSC timber & in-filled with straw bale (http://www.thelaststraw.org/bonus-articles/ann_edminster.html)
• Generate our own electricity via an off the grid photo voltaic system (~1-2kW with battery backup). More detailed specs to follow at a later date
• Grow most of our food via an organic garden
• Work p/t for supplemental income

We've made good progress on preparing for the move, e.g. identifying items for the yard sale & beginning the packing.

The down side, as with any move, is the sadness over leaving my daughters Lindsey, Jamie and Lauren. Granted they're young adults, however, it's still difficult. But alas it'll give all of us a reason to do some traveling.

A few poignant quotes:

"Maybe a person's time would be as well spent raising food as raising money to buy food." ~Frank A. Clark

What Is Simple Living?
"Living in a way that is outwardlysimple and inwardly rich."
- Duane Elgin

Here's a great site that elaborates a little on what is "Voluntary Simplicity":

http://www.simpleliving.net/content/custom_voluntary_simplicity_part_1.asp