For 2,987 nights, we lived at 531. When we bought it, it didn’t have light fixtures, appliances, or faceplates. It was dirty and outdated. We’re lucky it had the copper pipe!
But we loved the location – with Karissa’s parents ~50 houses down the same road (at 149) and my parents about a mile away. Our future kids would be attending the same elementary school we both did…in our home town. The interior of the house could be fixed – the location was the draw. And, frankly, the unlimited potential of such a massive project excited us too.
We poured our heart and soul into the renovation. It started modestly – with flooring and paint. But quickly morphed into something more than that. We don’t need to rehash the work we did – but know that the house became our art project and a physical embodiment of ourselves. When you pick exactly where a door should go, to the 1/4 inch, and then frame out the opening you’ll know what we mean. It’s no surprise that after 8 years of blood, sweat, and tears, we absolutely love the house! It’s perfect in so many ways. And we love it even more than normal because of the work we personally did. We cry just thinking about the house!
But after our epic RV trip in 2017-2018, we realized that weather is a choice. And we like sunshine and warm weather. We started house hunting in Florida on Christmas break 2018-2019, then in June 2019, and again the following Christmas. We hemmed and hawed. Debated the merits of leaving family and friends for weather. Ultimately, we weren’t happy. Because of all of the windows, our house accentuated the dim, dark winter of Northern Illinois. It made us feel the weather more than living in a more traditional house. We fought the urge to move for a long time – but eventually gave in.
When we put it up for sale, it was a tough decision. We nearly pulled it from the market a few times. And as difficult as it still is, we know we’re making the best decision for our family’s happiness.
We’re chasing our changing dreams and filling in the details as we go. It’s tough to leave our dream house, our family in Northern Illinois, and our wonderful lifelong friends. The pressure is on us now to keep those relationships alive.
For now, we’re living in our RV in Florida. I just got back from a walk wearing flip flops and shorts in January.
So goodbye 531. We truly love you. We mourn the loss of you as our home. We would love to move you, and our hometown, but that’s not possible. We hope your new owners appreciate what we did and what you offer as a home.
But we need to chase our new dreams. We know we’re making the right choice – it took us nearly 3 years to make the tough decision!
Enjoy a gallery of pictures from the professional photographer:
