Reflections On A Year

It’s been one helluva year for House Crazy Sarah!  At this time last year, she was living in Colorado, dreaming about one day returning to her homeland of Canada, not knowing if it would ever happen.

Many long months followed of planning, applying, prepping, and logistical jigsaw puzzles complicated by the ever-present threat of COVID. To say it was an immense amount of work is an understatement.

People thought House Crazy Sarah was, well, crazy, for undertaking such a risky, high-stakes venture during COVID and for uprooting her children from the only place they’d ever known as home.

And it was hard, and she felt guilt and many conflicting emotions. Was she making the right decision? How would their lives change? Would they regret it? Could they even do it in the first place?

But by early June, House Crazy Sarah had sold her house in Colorado, quit her job, sold her vehicle, said goodbye to her dear Colorado friends, and then embarked on the harrowing journey to Ontario in a 20-foot UHAUL truck with all her worldly possessions, her two kids and two dogs stuffed in the little cab of the truck.

It was the most difficult and wonderful trip she has ever taken.

At one point along the grueling journey – day 3 on the road – they were driving through southern Minnesota after a particularly sleepless night and House Crazy Sarah was just so exhausted, mentally and physically, she didn’t think she could go on that day. She was falling asleep at the wheel so she pulled over at a rest stop, took a blanket, and laid on the thick green grass under a big oak tree while her children walked the dogs around.

She thought she would sleep – she needed sleep – but instead, she just lay there for about 45 minutes, soaking in the warmth from the ground and it was like some kind of primal energy was being infused into her exhausted body. Her kids brought her a cold Pepsi Cola from a vending machine and after a few gulps, she was re-energized and ready to get back on the road.

It was kind of magical, perhaps even miraculous, that laying on the earth under that large shade tree gave her the strength she needed to finish the journey. But that’s exactly what happened.

Another day of driving and they pulled into the border town in Northern Michigan – House Crazy Sarah’s hometown was just across the river, so close they could see it! But they weren’t allowed to cross until they had yet another negative COVID test and it was too late in the day to have it done. So they had to get a hotel for the night and try in the morning.

It was the strangest feeling being so close to home you could see it, but not allowed to go there. House Crazy Sarah prayed hard to her patron saint of lost causes that night.

The next day they had their required COVID tests done (blessedly all came back negative) and they were able to cross the international bridge and land on Canadian soil.

They were held up for about an hour at the border facility while documents were checked and even more COVID tests were given, but eventually, the border guard uttered those coveted words: “ok, you can go”.

In a state of shock and numbness, House Crazy Sarah and her children drove the 2 miles to her mother’s house and practically fell out of the truck on one of the hottest days of the year.

The weary travelers then had to spend 2 weeks in strict quarantine with no contact with the outside world. And then there they were: living in granny’s basement with no car, no house, no job. Basically starting all over again.

But grit and tenacity run deep in House Crazy Sarah’s bones so she got her hustle on, got a job, bought a car, and then bought a cool old house.

Settling in was not easy – it was fraught with struggles and setbacks, but she persevered.

Today, she is surrounded by family and water, and the beauty of Canada. She has traded in the beautiful mountains for the magnificent lakes. From her new/old house, she is only a block away from the water and she can hear the fog horns from the big ships as they pass by, and this makes her smile and puts peace in her heart.

She has a good job with flexible hours and no debt apart from a tiny mortgage. House Crazy Sarah is proud of herself for how much she has accomplished this past year, and thankful to her children for being such good sports and fun companions as she dragged them along on this crazy ride.

When reflecting back on all that she undertook – all the dragons she was able to slay – she is flooded with the sweetest feeling of gratitude and an equal measure of pure empowerment.

 

Recently, House Crazy Sarah was in a convenience store and the clerk asked her if she wanted to buy some lottery tickets for the big jackpot. She laughed and said,

“No thanks, I don’t want to win the lottery.”

The clerk looked at her strangely like: what is wrong with you lady? EVERYBODY wants to win the lottery!

But you see, House Crazy Sarah is very happy with where she is at in life and wouldn’t want to have it any other way.   🙂

 

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