The Very Happy Mr. W. and I live in a nice, older neighborhood ten minutes from downtown Seattle in a comfortable four-bedroom view home. We have alot of stuff. We are very happy. But for the past couple of years, as semi-empty nesters, serious conversations have been focused on the next "phase" of our lives -- the "without the kids phase".
What do we want our lives to look like?
What will make us happy?
When our kids start having kids, we want to live near them and play a significant roll in our grandkids' lives;
Spending more time during the year in a sunny location with (affordable) golf would make us happy;
An inexpensive vacation home would allow us to keep a home in Seattle;We would like a house (with a yard for gardening), rather than a condo, but also something that makes every day feel like a vacation;
What will make us happy?
When our kids start having kids, we want to live near them and play a significant roll in our grandkids' lives;
Spending more time during the year in a sunny location with (affordable) golf would make us happy;
An inexpensive vacation home would allow us to keep a home in Seattle;We would like a house (with a yard for gardening), rather than a condo, but also something that makes every day feel like a vacation;
Goal is to live healthy, active lives.
The simpler, the better, so that we can focus on what is really important - family, friends, "experiences" rather than "things", spending time outside and appreciating nature.
We started visiting warm locations and looking at real estate... Scottsdale, Phoenix, Tucson, Maui, Las Vegas, Palm Springs, central Oregon, Southern California. All of these could work, but would likely result in our living a somewhat fast paced, expensive lifestyle while there - dealing with traffic and lines, and surrounded by tons of shopping, $100+ rounds of golf and expensive restaurants.
The places we researched and visited with a "second home" destination in mind ended up feeling an awful lot like Seattle after we had been there a few days. Life in those places would not necessarily be different than our life in Seattle. Then we visited Borrego Springs.
The desert is breathtakingly beautiful;
It's really quiet in the middle of nowhere;
There are always stars in the night sky;
The desert is alive! Filled with animals, cacti and flowers;
Most of the year, the days are warm and nights are chilly
(perfect for a cozy fire);
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park has dozens of amazing hiking trails and jeep/off-roading areas;
You can get by and be really happy with much less stuff than you think;
When removed from the distractions of a larger city, the days go on forever;
Desert flower beds are a dream to dig in;
There is no problem getting a tee time in Borrego Springs;
It's relatively difficult to spend money in Borrego Springs;
People care about and support each other in a small community;
Humans can live without Starbucks (nearest Starbucks is 40 minutes away);
FedEx/UPS deliver to Borrego Springs every day;
A nice, comfortable home in Borrego Springs is quite affordable.
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| Borrego Springs "Christmas Circle" |
