Everywhere at home read online. Home Reading: Excerpt from Lynn Martin's Home Anywhere

About the book

This book is not only an inspirational memoir of the authors' travels around the world - from Portugal and Mexico to Ireland and Turkey. This is another proof that nothing is impossible. If you dream of living abroad or want to travel more, live as a nomad and see the world, but...

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About the book
A great motivator for those who dream of abandoning their daily routine and traveling around the world.

The story of Lynn Martin and her husband Tim is known to many Russian readers on the project of Vladimir Yakovlev "The Age of Happiness". Here is a fragment from the story of Lynn and Tim: "When they were already well over 60, they came up with a completely new life for themselves. Or rather, a new and surprisingly pleasant way of life. However, in order to start living like this, they had to give up everything of their former habits, and in general - from everything that they had.

At the age of well over 60, the couple Lynn and Tim Martin became nomads. They say it's the most appropriate lifestyle for their age."

Who is this book for?
For everyone who loves travel. And for those who dream about them, but are afraid to leave the comfort zone and leave the house for a long time.

Lynn Martin and her husband are the heroes of the Age of Happiness project. When Lynn was 69, they returned from Mexico and realized they wanted to travel more than they could afford. One of the couple came up with the idea to sell the house, furniture, keep a minimum of things and laptops and go to Europe on a boat. Now Lynn and Tim travel the world, constantly changing their place of residence. This book is their inspiring story.

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Lynn Martin

Everywhere like at home. How we sold our home, changed our lives and saw the world

HOME SWEET ANYWHERE

How We Sold Our House, Created a New Life, and Saw the World

Published with permission from Lynne Martin c/o Kleinworks Agency and Dana Newman Literary and Nova Littera SIA

Legal support of the publishing house is provided by the law firm "Vegas-Lex"

Introduction

Smart people don't stroll idle across the Columbia Bridge near the United States border in the Texas city of Laredo.

But it turned out that one beautiful June morning Tim, my husband, and I were exactly there, waiting impatiently for someone to explain to us how to legally cross the border into Mexico. Expats who had to cross the border in Laredo advised us to use the bridge rather than the crowded main border crossing, where crowds gather and sometimes shoot out between drug traffickers and border guards. But in the unpleasant hotel in which we stayed, they did not really explain to us how to get to this bridge. As a result, we set off almost at dawn, and we had no confidence that we were moving in the right direction. A brand new motorway ran through the city, but it had not yet been marked on the map. Google didn't help either. Needless to say, we were nervous!

We stayed up late last night trying to figure out the route using iPhones and computers. We had to spend about ten hours on the road (and even then if nothing unforeseen happens). It was necessary to plan everything very clearly: cross the border as early as possible - before the main crowd - and from there already get to the city of San Miguel de Allende in the foothills of Central Mexico. It was necessary to get there before dark - in the dark smart people They don't travel around Mexico.

Finally, people appeared at the border post! We went inside - the employees were animatedly discussing how they spent the weekend. We tentatively approached the counter and took out all our papers. The officer, obviously unhappy that we had interrupted such a pleasant conversation, barely glanced at the documents, received several hundred dollars on the tariff for the importation of a car, put a barely visible stamp on the passports and suggested that we wait until we were called in for inspection.

We waited. A customs officer approached us. Our car was filled to the brim with personal effects and gifts for Mexican friends (however, we tried to hide the gifts better to avoid additional fees). A detailed inspection seemed too tedious to the customs officer: she asked us a couple of questions and let us go.

Thus, we have overcome the last barrier that separated us from the new life.

We began a long journey to all those places on Earth that we had long wanted to see. For many years we dreamed about it, and now we finally set off! We - my husband Tim and I - abandoned the house, from everything familiar and anew, thirty-five years after the first meeting, we found each other.

We met back in the 1970s, and then our two-year stormy romance ended in a painful break - both of us were not yet ready for a serious relationship. Tim, a poet and irresistible handsome man, then lived a free bohemian life in Hollywood, without worrying about stable sources of income. I was a determined, tall blonde with a successful career in public relations. We remained friends even when each of us had families and children. Then my marriage came to an end, Tim's family life also exhausted itself, we, as it happened, met again and ... again fell in love with each other without memory. We spent two wonderful years together, but I had two daughters and a ranch house in the San Fernando Valley, and I did not find the strength or courage to decide to marry Tim and go with him, so to speak, to free swimming. . Although she desperately wanted us to be together and never part.

Thirty-five years after we first met, I opened the door to my house for Tim. He called before that, saying that he was going to come to Cumbria, a village on the California coast where I lived for the last fifteen years. What happened next, I did not expect. I was sure that our relationship was long gone, become a memory. Having agreed to meet and chat, I told myself that he was just an old lover, and now good friend, no more.

Lynn Martin

Everywhere like at home. How we sold our home, changed our lives and saw the world

HOME SWEET ANYWHERE

How We Sold Our House, Created a New Life, and Saw the World

Published with permission from Lynne Martin c/o Kleinworks Agency and Dana Newman Literary and Nova Littera SIA

Legal support of the publishing house is provided by the law firm "Vegas-Lex"

* * *

Introduction

Smart people don't stroll idle across the Columbia Bridge near the United States border in the Texas city of Laredo.

But it turned out that one fine June morning, Tim, my husband, and I found ourselves exactly there: we were impatiently waiting for at least someone who could explain to us how, without breaking the law, to cross the border into Mexico. Expats who had to cross the border in Laredo advised us to use the bridge rather than the crowded main border crossing, where crowds gather and sometimes shoot out between drug traffickers and border guards. But in the unpleasant hotel in which we stayed, they did not really explain to us how to get to this bridge. As a result, we set off almost at dawn, and we had no confidence that we were moving in the right direction. A brand new motorway ran through the city, but it had not yet been marked on the map. Google didn't help either. Needless to say, we were nervous!

We stayed up late last night trying to figure out the route using iPhones and computers. We had to spend about ten hours on the road (and even then if nothing unforeseen happened). It was necessary to plan everything very clearly: cross the border as early as possible - before the main crowd - and from there already get to the city of San Miguel de Allende in the foothills of Central Mexico. It was necessary to get there before dark - in the dark, smart people do not drive around Mexico.

Thus, we have overcome the last barrier that separated us from the new life.

Thirty-five years after we first met, I opened the door to my house for Tim. He called before that, saying that he was going to come to Cumbria, a village on the California coast where I lived for the last fifteen years. What happened next, I did not expect. I was sure that our relationship was long gone, become a memory. When I agreed to meet and chat, I told myself that he was just an old lover, and now a good friend, nothing more.

But everything turned out differently. I saw him - and as if these long years had not happened. I knew he was mine and I was his. So it wasn't quite as easy and innocent as I thought.

- I'm so glad to see you, Tim! I said smiling.

And then a voice came from the studio below:

– Who is it there?

The voice belonged to my husband Guy. He was a famous illustrator. We had everything you could wish for: happy marriage, a comfortable life in abundance, an ideal garden, an excellent kitchen, a studio for work, a huge living room ... Everything is fine, except for one circumstance: Guy had Alzheimer's disease, which progressed rapidly.

Tim arrived on one of those days when Guy was fully conscious. We chatted on the terrace, admiring Atlantic Ocean, seen through the rare coastal pines. As it turned out, Tim had been leading a quiet life for several years: he had a small electronics business - nothing to do with a stellar past. He told interesting stories about the music industry; the conversation was easy and casual, until Tim mentioned that his twenty-year marriage was over. And then my carefully built world swayed.

Saying goodbye, we, as befits old friends, embraced and lightly touched each other's cheeks. What could be said here? Time is working against us again!

And nothing could be changed either. Guy needed all my love and devotion, and my heart still belonged to him. Guy and I loved each other for twenty whole years, all this time I took care of the family and played the role of a muse with him, and he built a successful career as an artist. It was incredibly painful to watch as Guy gradually lost his mind. I had to support my husband, but I couldn't forget Tim either. I was scared. I was thrown from one extreme to another: from despair to jubilant joy. I was in love!

Then it got really hard. Guy became more and more prostrated, and the doctor advised him to be placed in a special clinic - for his own safety. I could no longer provide adequate care for him. As we entered the common room for all patients, Guy said, “Honey, what a great hotel! Do you know they have a famous restaurant here?” It just blew me away. And he settled down perfectly in a new place and never remembered how we lived before. Three years later he died. That's when my new life.

A few years ago, Tim and I were sitting on the terrace at a friend's house in San Miguel de Allende, and we suddenly started talking about how great it would be to travel all our lives. The hostess was away, and we have been living in this beautiful colonial-style house for a month now. After Guy's death, Tim and I moved in together, then got married and lived on the California coast, then traveled. When we started talking about what we would like to do next, something crackled in the outdoor fireplace and a sheaf of sparks burst out like a salute.

I have been pondering one sensitive issue for quite some time, and now was a great time to discuss it. I was supposed to be seventy years old - this is a serious date. I was definitely past my puberty, and although I was still healthy and vigorous, I still would not have lived that much longer. As my birthday approached, my anxiety and dissatisfaction with myself grew, because there were still so many places in the world that I wanted to, but so far I could not see! And I dreamed of not just spending a week or two there as a tourist, I wanted to live in these places for real! And suddenly I realized that the biggest obstacle to the realization of this dream was our big house and the costs associated with its maintenance. We were housebound and could not leave immediately for many months. I didn’t want to bring this topic up also because my relationship with Tim began recently and I was afraid that he would think that I wasn’t happy enough next to him.

But that evening in San Miguel, I could not restrain myself. She took a deep breath and said:

“You know, Tim, please don't be offended, but I have to tell you… I don't like living in Paso Robles. And it’s not about you, I swear: I just realized that I want to see so much more before I get old completely! I'm not ready to give up traveling yet, and three weeks trips are not enough for me. Let's think about how we can spend more time in new places.

Current page: 1 (total book has 20 pages) [available reading excerpt: 5 pages]

Lynn Martin
Everywhere like at home. How we sold our home, changed our lives and saw the world

HOME SWEET ANYWHERE

How We Sold Our House, Created a New Life, and Saw the World

Published with permission from Lynne Martin c/o Kleinworks Agency and Dana Newman Literary and Nova Littera SIA

Legal support of the publishing house is provided by the law firm "Vegas-Lex"

* * *

Introduction

Smart people don't stroll idle across the Columbia Bridge near the United States border in the Texas city of Laredo.

Thus, we have overcome the last barrier that separated us from the new life.

Thirty-five years after we first met, I opened the door to my house for Tim. He called before that, saying that he was going to come to Cumbria, a village on the California coast where I lived for the last fifteen years. What happened next, I did not expect. I was sure that our relationship was long gone, become a memory. When I agreed to meet and chat, I told myself that he was just an old lover, and now a good friend, nothing more.

But everything turned out differently. I saw him - and as if these long years had not happened. I knew he was mine and I was his. So it wasn't quite as easy and innocent as I thought.

- I'm so glad to see you, Tim! I said smiling.

And then a voice came from the studio below:

– Who is it there?

The voice belonged to my husband Guy. He was a famous illustrator. We had everything you could wish for: a happy marriage, a comfortable and prosperous life, a perfect garden, an excellent kitchen, a studio for work, a huge living room ... Everything is fine, except for one circumstance: Guy had Alzheimer's disease, which progressed rapidly.

Tim arrived on one of those days when Guy was fully conscious. We chatted on the terrace, admiring the Atlantic Ocean through the sparse coastal pines. As it turned out, Tim had been leading a quiet life for several years: he had a small electronics business - nothing to do with a stellar past. He told interesting stories about the music industry; the conversation was easy and casual, until Tim mentioned that his twenty-year marriage was over. And then my carefully built world swayed.

Saying goodbye, we, as befits old friends, embraced and lightly touched each other's cheeks. What could be said here? Time is working against us again!

But that evening in San Miguel, I could not restrain myself. She took a deep breath and said:

I even closed my eyes so as not to see the expression on his face. I was afraid that he would misunderstand me, that he would decide that our life with him did not suit me in some way.

But he suddenly laughed.

“My God, we are thinking the same thing!” I, too, have been thinking about this for a month now, but I was afraid that you would think that I was out of my mind! I thought you wouldn't want to hear about leaving home and grandchildren!

I couldn't believe my ears! That's how we started making plans. We decided to stop being just retirees and find a way to travel around the world to finally see something that has long been on our wish lists. It was already late, but I didn’t feel like sleeping at all: we all talked, made plans: where we would go first, where later, how we would do it all, and so on. We haven't had this much fun in a long time! The fact that both of us, it turns out, wanted to explore the world, and not stay at home, seemed like a miracle. Now everything was on our shoulders. I already imagined how we walk along the rows with fragrant tomatoes in the Italian market, how we walk through the dark and mysterious bazaars of Marrakech; I saw myself on a French farm, whipping up a soufflé while Tim opens a bottle of local white wine with a bright, fresh aroma. It seemed that we were given a chance to make up for everything that we missed and did not experience together.

We started our morning coffee armed with a large yellow notepad: we realized overnight that fantastic ideas should be turned into a financial plan. All our dreams of a wonderful tomorrow, for which we had worked all our lives, had to be brought into line with what we had managed to save up to this point. We are not particularly wealthy, but we had an excellent financier who managed our small savings and invested it carefully. These monthly checks - the result of investments - and even pension payments were our regular income.

* * *

We were afraid that our modest budget would not be enough, so we made a list of all kinds of expenses. And it turned out that our monthly income is clearly not enough. And then we reviewed the costs: what if we live abroad, renting an apartment or a house? The difference was amazing. That is, by selling the house, we could live comfortably in almost any country in the world.

All this was great, but were we ready to take such a risk? What is life like without a permanent home, without a familiar bed, without the ability to put your things in familiar places after a long trip? Will we enjoy living in other people's houses for many years? How will we feel about it? Won't the stress of having to move several times a year destroy our wonderful marriage, which so many envied? Will our four daughters stop communicating with us at all? After all, they already consider us eccentrics after we traveled almost the whole country in search of a place where we would like to grow old together! Are we ready to live in conditions of constant uncertainty, outside our usual comfort zone, away from relatives and friends? But in the end we said to ourselves: there will be no other opportunity like this. Now or never! And we decided that we are ready for difficulties and want to try out this revolutionary idea.

And then it was necessary to deal with the details: with whom to leave the dog, where to put the furniture, how to dispose of the car? What to keep and what to throw away? And will our relatives forgive us for wanting to go so far and for a long time? Both Tim and I had a very close and warm relationship with our children, and we could not even imagine how to tell them about our decision - everything was so difficult that we decided to postpone the conversation on this topic. Instead, we started talking about the route, how to make new friends, what kind of insurance we need, and a host of other things that we will have to think about and study for a few more months. And when it began to seem to us that we had already decided and prepared almost everything, the question arose: “What to do with mail, where to send it?! We won't have an address!"

"That's right," Tim said with his usual calmness. - Let's go easy!

And with these words, our dizzying adventure began. We were to live in a skyscraper in Buenos Aires; in a quiet country estate in the town of San Miguel de Allende in Mexico; in a tiny apartment overlooking the Blue Mosque and the Sea of Marmara in Istanbul; in beautiful apartments with large kitchens just a few blocks from the Seine in Paris; in a small villa overlooking Florence; in a medieval three-story building without an elevator in the French town of La Charité-sur-Loire; in a one-room apartment with a luxurious balcony overlooking the Thames in London; in the suburbs of Dublin, in a three-hundred-year-old Georgian mansion overlooking the Irish Sea; in a brightly tiled two-room riad - a traditional Moroccan house - in Marrakesh; in a house by the sea near Lisbon in Portugal.

The great thing about this story is that we didn't have to go sightseeing at a fast pace anywhere. By arranging our lives in this way, we got the most valuable thing in the world - time. We weren't tourists at all. For a while, we became locals in any of the places where we dropped our suitcases. We have freed ourselves from our home, and now our housing is where we are. How could we know what adventures await us?

Chapter 1
We collect things

After that life-changing trip to San Miguel, we returned to California determined to immediately implement all our plans. It remains to make a few important decisions - and that's it, we are ready to hit the road!

But stop, not so fast! Tim and I are Libra, our birthdays are in October. Astrologers believe that it is extremely difficult for people like us to make decisions. Fortunately, both of us can be considered astrological anomalies, because sometimes we just make serious decisions too easily. We have bought cars after a few minutes of thinking and at home after the first inspection (no wonder the kids think we are both flighty). We decided to get married without a moment's hesitation. And the decision to sell the house in order to travel the world for several years also came very quickly. Our house in a sense helped us: it was bought on the first day, and this in a falling market! Now we definitely couldn't let some astrology stop us from starting a new life!

And this is how we moved: from here to there… From there, out there… And further.

We wanted to spend time in Paris, slowly discover Ireland, find an apartment in Florence, try to live in Portugal - that is, become completely free! As I said, we quickly realized that we could hardly afford to just close the house and go away for a few months. In this case, you would have to pay for its maintenance, and after all, a large and empty house will certainly become a bait for some dark personalities. And then, without the money from the sale of the house, we could not afford much. But if we invest the proceeds from the sale wisely, then regular income from investments will allow us to live without much worries.

Our Financial Consultant agreed with the idea of selling the house and investing the money - instead of waiting for the real estate market, which collapsed in 2007, to recover. During this time, we would finally grow old!

Once the house was sold, there was no going back. Moreover, the buyers gave us only 45 days to vacate the premises, and this only spurred us on.

The day after the sale of the house, I found Tim at 6 in the morning in his office, at the computer.

- Dear, what are you? It hasn't even dawned yet.

Without raising his head, he replied:

– Did you know that you can sail from Miami to Rome on a return cruise flight for only $ 2,300 for two? It's cheaper than flying, and we're guaranteed room and food for two weeks! Next year such a ship will sail from Fort Lauderdale 1
Fort Lauderdale is a resort town on the east coast of South Florida. Note. ed.

To Rome. Maybe we can book?

Don't sleep, already working! My dear loving husband!

“What is a return flight anyway?” I asked, daydreaming about a cup of coffee. I even got dizzy.

“You see, cruise companies take their ships from one part of the world to another twice a year, and on these flights they sell seats at very good prices. As far as I understand, the service on these flights is almost the same as on regular cruises, and the price is almost half lower, he explained, smiling. - Bow or stern?

It seems that I have not yet fully woken up and could not believe my ears.

“Wait a minute, honey, have you ever been on a cruise?” You're claustrophobic, and we both hate boredom. Yes, we are both quite sociable, but we choose our company carefully. How did you even come up with the idea of spending two weeks in a floating hotel?

My head refused to cope with this - I urgently needed coffee.

Tim followed me into the kitchen.

“Look, I understand that there is a risk, but since we started all this, let's try it in the spring. If you don't like it, we'll know and next time we'll choose a plane. Just look at these cabins!

He led me back to the computer, but I didn't feel like being on a giant ship waiting for it to arrive in Rome. And also to be nice at dinner with strangers who have already taken a few cocktails. Not to mention creepy shows like the Iceberg Variety Show or some of the other musical performances that are usually put on on cruise ships, or bingo tournaments among passengers - all this is completely not to my taste. To be honest, my idea of a cruise is based on one three-day trip to Mexico where everyone got drunk and I definitely didn't want a repeat. And two weeks of such fun, I definitely could not stand it.

Tim carefully tried to object because, as usual, he had already researched everything and was ready to answer any of my objections even before the conversation began. (I am grateful to Tim for his ability to always have an answer to any question.)

“There will be no gala dinners on this ship, dear. We can eat in our cabin if we don't want to talk to anyone. Or you can ask for a separate table in the restaurant. And it is absolutely not necessary to watch all these performances like Joan of Arc on Ice.

Meet Tim Martin, the unique travel agent! He showed me a lot of beautiful photos of cruise ships: beauty salons, three swimming pools, magnificent views from the windows of restaurant halls, smiling passengers drinking soft drinks in sun loungers ... In general, he convinced me and had already booked a cabin in the bow of a giant white liner for dinner. Our dreams were becoming reality. And at the same time, as I began to understand, our attitude to the surrounding reality was changing.

Soon Tim was so immersed in planning that he was spending almost all of his time on it. He constantly thought about it. Even standing for tickets to the cinema, he would suddenly hug me and say: “Hey, do you know? It turns out that in Portugal you can rent an apartment right on the ocean for less than $1,800 a month! We can spend March there.” Tim was looking for a compromise between important factors: time, weather, our desires and financial issues. He spent a lot of time, used all his experience, and when I agreed to the cruise, all sorts of tricks about long-term rental apartments should have become a mandatory part of our lives.

But now more urgent matters demanded an immediate decision. We had to not only get rid of things, find new owners for the dog and deal with various little things like bank accounts, mail forwarding, medical examinations and vaccinations, choosing the right clothes. We still had to obtain the appropriate documents for foreign trips - first of all, to Mexico and Argentina. As for the things, we had to decide which ones to sell, give away or send to the warehouse, and what to take with us. And all this in forty-five days! Anyone would panic, not just a couple of indecisive Libras!

* * *

Before continuing, I want to warn anyone who is considering trying our lifestyle to be prepared for the fact that from time to time you will have to go through emotionally difficult moments. Although our path is full of pleasant events, it is definitely not for the weak.

Giving up your own home is almost like experienced adults deciding to get married and start a life together. It all comes down to a simple question: “How do we get rid of all your stuff to make room for mine?” It is very difficult to part with things that you valued, but which are not particularly needed at the same time. In a month and a half (hopefully you will have more time!) we had to abandon the past and start a new life, so it was simply unwise and expensive to send all the furniture and all things to the warehouse. Besides, we were looking forward to a new start after we finally traveled and settled down in one place again. And the idea that then it would be possible to buy new modern furniture helped me to give up old favorite things.

It helped, but still it was not easy for me. And then I'll tell you the whole story.

At the beginning of my life together with Tim, we often moved in search of a place where we would like to live for the rest of our lives. We tried both Ohio and North Carolina, but then returned to California. When moving, I had to leave books, clothes, and other familiar things, because you can’t take everything away.

This time we had to make much more serious decisions. Almost everything we had had to be given away or sold. We swore to each other that we would not rent a storage room larger than three by four meters. But such a warehouse is very easy to fill, so we had to learn how to sort things. At first we tried to sort them by room, but soon the house turned into complete chaos. It turned out four huge heaps: “to the warehouse”, “give away”, “throw away”, “to go”. And for each it was necessary to make a final decision. Forty-five days were inexorably drawing to a close.

Once I found Tim in the garage - he was standing and looking somewhere in the corner; in one hand a skein of adhesive tape, at the feet of a box.

- What are you doing? I asked.

He was still staring silently at the pile of old CDs. Many were associated with his success in music, reminded of milestones in a career. Some had songs he wrote himself.

“I thought maybe Alvin (Tim’s daughter, who lived in Texas and was also into music) would like to take them. It's on my iPod anyway,” he muttered.

He forced himself to smile, but I noticed his lips twitch as he put his favorite Presley CD into the box.

Every day we collected boxes and bags for the charity fund. And every day, Tim drove full trunks of various useful things. And we sent paintings or kitchen utensils to a rented warehouse - I knew that we would need all this, but later. Sometimes it seemed that during the night things had increased: it seemed that this room had been emptied, but again it was full of things! Although I'm ready to swear: there was nothing here yesterday! Where did everything come from?

And yet, things quickly found new owners in the person of our friends and neighbors. The children took almost all the large furniture and antiques. We were proud of ourselves.

However, we still had to receive hundreds of the most different solutions. One day I stormed into the office where Tim was in a desperate correspondence with the owner of an apartment in Istanbul, trying to negotiate the terms of the lease. I was wearing a sumptuous, heavy honey-gold skirt with a slant-cut hem. This skirt weighed five kilograms and occupied almost half of the closet. Tim shook his head.

“Darling, you look amazing! But I don't think you'll need it in Florence in the middle of July.

It’s a pity, but I had to put the skirt in a pile of things with the inscription “gift”. Tim's excellent cashmere coat also went there: you can wear this in Manhattan, but in Turkish Izmir it will definitely be hot in it. We have never regretted these decisions.

Everything was starting to work out. The pile of stuff in the garage was shrinking, travel plans were looming, we were less nervous. We overcame all the difficulties of urgent loan repayment, survived the sale of a house, stoically endured panic attacks. But overall, they were incredibly happy. After I lost Guy, the union with Tim was a real gift from heaven for me. And now we had to go on a journey together, to see different interesting places, experience adventure. My wildest dreams came true. I couldn't wait until all the boring preparations were finally over and the fun began.

Once Tim and I ran into each other in the hall: he was carrying a huge pile of books and papers, I was walking in the other direction on some urgent business. He caught my eye, dropped the books and hugged me. We both laughed at the excitement that overwhelmed us both. We really DID it!

In the middle of all this joyous bustle, there was one sad thing - to find a new home for Sparky, our one and a half year old Jack Russell Terrier. Finding new owners for a dog is almost like finding a partner, and as a rule, recommendations from friends are very helpful here. We asked for help from everyone we know, and there were acquaintances of friends who wanted to take our dog. They already had five terriers, and they were not averse to getting another one. I never understood such people: if we had six such fidgets, we would definitely go crazy! But these people seemed to love such a fuss. Sparky immediately fit perfectly into the noisy company. He now lives on a beautiful vineyard estate and spends his days hunting lizards and snakes.

The list of problems was not limited to the organization of departure, and saying goodbye to Sparky was not the only sad moment that we all put off. When we finally plucked up the courage to talk about our plans, the four daughters listened to us in deathly silence. We fully understood their concerns and fears. Fortunately, on reflection, they all fully supported our idea and were able to sincerely rejoice for us.

Friends and relatives were also shocked, but then they started asking questions, which we expected. For example, some were worried about what would happen if one of us got sick or injured. Without going into details (and we, of course, considered in detail what to do in case of such troubles), we answered that: 1) we can get sick or get injured in California and 2) even in Portugal, even in Paso Robles we will act in the same way - we will contact a doctor or a hospital and solve the problem. After long rehearsals, our answers sounded quite convincing, and soon those close to us began to cheer and support us, or at least pretend that everything was fine, although in their hearts they might have considered our idea crazy.

We ourselves doubted this undertaking at times. That is, there was no doubt that the new life would be wonderful, but nevertheless, drawing up a plan and preparing the moves required from us both a clear vision of the goal and perseverance. And courage. And we had doubts. We really wanted to leave as soon as possible, but we were also very worried. We constantly needed to remind ourselves that this is our life, that given our age, we may not get a second chance. And we will have time to rest when we leave the nomadic life.

It turned out to be very difficult to convince friends and relatives that you can go on such a trip and not go broke. “You see,” we answered those who, without asking a direct question, nevertheless tried to find out how much all this would cost us. - If you live such a nomadic life, then it doesn’t really matter how much money you have. Very simple arithmetic: you need to estimate the amount of current expenses, and then find out how much it will cost to live in each of the new places, add the cost of moving and compare these two numbers. Then adjust costs if needed. If you have a lot of money, you can live comfortably anywhere. If there is not much money, you may have to rent a smaller apartment or cook dinner at home more often than go to a cafe. But in any case, the trip will turn out.

And now, from time to time, we meet people who, having learned about our lifestyle, take a defensive stance, as if our decisions somehow threaten their usual existence: “Yes, I would never give up furniture, a dog, a car, my ... ” (then think for yourself). Sometimes you have to explain that such a life deprived of rest, like ours, and the truth is not suitable for everyone. But right now, and just for us, it turned out to be perfect. We talk about our unusual life not so that someone suddenly decides to radically change theirs. We just want to show you how great it is to expand your horizons, whichever way you choose to do so. For some, it’s enough just to go to a neighboring city, find new friends or do something unusual.

Every time we talked about our plans, we were a little nervous, because we didn’t know how our interlocutors would react, but then we realized that the reaction is almost always the same: at first they don’t believe us, then they start asking questions, then they are happy for us, and they are jealous. Seeing this attitude, we were once again convinced that we were really doing something incredible, and with even greater enthusiasm we prepared to jump off an imaginary cliff.

Lynn Martin Everywhere like at home. How we sold our home, changed our lives and saw the world

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Introduction

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Chapter 1 We collect things

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Lynn Martin
Everywhere like at home. How we sold our home, changed our lives and saw the world

Chapter 1
We collect things