How do you know when its time to live the next chapter in your life? Is it after the kids are grown and gone? Is it right after you graduate from High School or College? Is it when something tragic happens and you re-evaluate your life and think of happiness rather than just "being"? These are questions everyone asks themselves sometime in their life. Most of the time you just plug along day after day not even really paying much attention until one day you look around you and find that what you are doing is just not making you happy and the "what ifs" come into your mind.
Our first life changing chapter was moving from a metropolitan suburban area were everything was 5-10 minutes away to the country and everything was 20-45 minutes away with limits on what you would find. We owned and operated our Bed and Breakfast in Southern West Virginia for 4 years. The differences were shocking and amazing, our two teenage kids that came or were dragged with us did not exactly like that there was no mall around the corner or that it was a 5 mile walk uphill to the nearest convenience store. So it went without saying that the "culture shock" of city to country was tough for the entire family. The quiet was something none of us ever experienced-the darkness at night was absolute. There were facets of life in the country that were incredible like looking up at the sky and see stars that seemed close enough to touch, the birds that came to the three acre property, the pond that had Koy fishes that didn't die in the winter, snow that hung on all those hemlocks and pines beautiful enough for a postcard. It had its struggles like any other new venture in life and we had to close the B & B although we kept the main house for our retirement home. The love of Innkeeping made us decide that eventhough we didn't own a Bed and Breakfast didn't mean that we could not work for one.
Our Second Chapter brought us to the assignment we are on right now in Helena, Arkansas at the Magnolia Hill Bed and Breakfast. We have been here for a year now in May and have enjoyed our job in this huge and beautiful old Victorian with the three ghosts, and the history behind the walls that was once a USO club, a church, a home and now a Bed and Breakfast. We have loved the experience of taking care of guests and being a part of a wonderful community; its been life changing all these things that we have done in the last five years. What is next on our journey in life, we don't know but we will do our best at whatever and where ever we go.
So what chapter are you on in your life. Are there any pioneers left out there? If yes, what do you have to loose? Go for it!
Our first life changing chapter was moving from a metropolitan suburban area were everything was 5-10 minutes away to the country and everything was 20-45 minutes away with limits on what you would find. We owned and operated our Bed and Breakfast in Southern West Virginia for 4 years. The differences were shocking and amazing, our two teenage kids that came or were dragged with us did not exactly like that there was no mall around the corner or that it was a 5 mile walk uphill to the nearest convenience store. So it went without saying that the "culture shock" of city to country was tough for the entire family. The quiet was something none of us ever experienced-the darkness at night was absolute. There were facets of life in the country that were incredible like looking up at the sky and see stars that seemed close enough to touch, the birds that came to the three acre property, the pond that had Koy fishes that didn't die in the winter, snow that hung on all those hemlocks and pines beautiful enough for a postcard. It had its struggles like any other new venture in life and we had to close the B & B although we kept the main house for our retirement home. The love of Innkeeping made us decide that eventhough we didn't own a Bed and Breakfast didn't mean that we could not work for one.
Our Second Chapter brought us to the assignment we are on right now in Helena, Arkansas at the Magnolia Hill Bed and Breakfast. We have been here for a year now in May and have enjoyed our job in this huge and beautiful old Victorian with the three ghosts, and the history behind the walls that was once a USO club, a church, a home and now a Bed and Breakfast. We have loved the experience of taking care of guests and being a part of a wonderful community; its been life changing all these things that we have done in the last five years. What is next on our journey in life, we don't know but we will do our best at whatever and where ever we go.
So what chapter are you on in your life. Are there any pioneers left out there? If yes, what do you have to loose? Go for it!
You don't want to get to the end of life's journey and discover you never left the interstate. ~Robert Brault
1 comment:
I happen to be at a cross-road in my life as well. I am trying to go back to school and find a new career while still trying to maintain the lifestyle I have now become acustom to. I am also studying investment and the many ways to watch money grow. I am hoping I do well with this and don't loose too much of the settlement money I am receiving next month when I do venture into this new world of investment I am heading twords. There are many absolute darknesses along the paths of life that we travle. We just have to hope that the light that is provided by God, and the hand that Jesus Christ lends us along the way steer us away for the temptations the devil throws our way. I have not been too sucessful in the past at avoiding eating tht "apple" and can only hope that the maturity that has come with this ever rocky hike, and morals given to me by my parents or "guide" will step in and prevent me from walking off a cliff when I do leave the path to explor the forest around it.
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