Moving plans have shifted gears!

[April Wilcox]

Well, after doing some serious thinking about our plan to head up to OR in hopes to make a new life, Kirk and I have decided it would be much more realistic and more stable if we go to live at his house in TN (his great aunt willed to him and his siblings) that is just sitting empty. It is a modest little house on 1.2 acres surrounded by trees and lots of undeveloped land, close to the town of Gallatin, just east of Nashville. Even though we wanted to go to OR, this idea feels much more stable to me, it's already paid for, so we will only have to come up with our living expenses, and it will put us about 3 hours from the Smokies. We will also be taking many trips out there in the next year to get the house fixed back up for living in, so we will get many opportunities to use our trailer while it's in repair! I'm very excited about this change in plans, as I have to admit I was a little worried about packing up and heading out to the NW not knowing where we would end up. The best thing of all is we can live there as long as we want, and will be able to break free and travel as we wish, since the cost of living there will be so low! Our next visit to the house will be the first week of March, so we can get another good look at what we have to deal with, and to get the utilities turned on. We will of course be taking the camper to stay in! Here is a link to some photo's of the house that we took during our last visit in '06.
http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.a...;localeid=en_US

[Fred Patterson]

April,
Welcome to Tennessee! Gallatin is a nice area and, as you have pointed out, an easy drive to the Great Smoky Mountains with lots of beautiful camping. You'll also find lots of great places to explore in middle Tennessee and being centrally located, you'll also be about three hours from Memphis and the Mississippi river. I hope your move goes well and that you get lots of opportunities to use your camper.
Fred (in Knoxville, TN)

[Karen M]

What a wonderful project to make into a home. Best of luck!

Karen

[Vi Turner]

[quote]Well, after doing some serious thinking about our plan to head up to OR in hopes to make a new life, Kirk and I have decided it would be much more realistic and more stable if we go to live at his house in TN (his great aunt willed to him and his siblings) that is just sitting empty. It is a modest little house on 1.2 acres surrounded by trees and lots of undeveloped land, close to the town of Gallatin, just east of Nashville. Even though we wanted to go to OR, this idea feels much more stable to me, it's already paid for, so we will only have to come up with our living expenses, and it will put us about 3 hours from the Smokies. We will also be taking many trips out there in the next year to get the house fixed back up for living in, so we will get many opportunities to use our trailer while it's in repair!

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April, with the current downturn in the economy, I would vote for Tn., too. The last picture of the mts and skyline is beautiful. Living in Ga., I certainly know about the lower cost of living. Sounds like a good plan to me. There are several annual Meets in Tn. Hope to see you at one of them. We are booked into Townsend, just north of the Smokies in April and NC in June.

[April Wilcox]

oops I forgot that photo of the mountains was in there, that was taken at Coleman Mine in Hot Springs AR.

[Kurt & Ann K.]

April & Kirk,
It's a big shift in location but like the old saying, "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush"!
Let the adventure of the rest of your life...begin!!!

Keep your sense of humor, and ENJOY
Kurt & Ann K.

[Alf S.]

Hi: April... Looks like a project trailer... only BIGGER!!!
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[Joe Z]

April.....
Beautiful Area Tennessee..... We have family in Paris TN and that is one of my favorite states. Really nice people there that will make you both feel welcome.
joe

[April Wilcox]

It will certainly be a new experience living out there. I have passed through TN a few times, and it is some beautiful country. Getting away from Houston is the main objective, I am very happy we have this opportunity. Maybe we will learn some new bluegrass chops while we are out there.

[Donna D.]

Good for you! And sad for those of us in Oregon. I was looking forward to meeting you and having you join in on the gatherings happening in this state as well as the Washington gathering(s). But, I think you're making a wise decision. And you know, Oregon will be here when you're ready to come to live or just visit.

[April Wilcox]

We still plan to travel out to OR once in a while. Once we get the house settled and our travel funds squared away, we still plan to take a nice long road trip. It will be nice knowing we can leave the house for a few weeks and not have a bunch of rent to pay while we are gone. I have felt a lot of relief ever since we decided to do this. I was a bit concerned about the bottom falling out of our plan to go to OR before we are really ready. It's sad when desperation to get out of a city pushes you to make hasty decisions. This new plan to go to TN just FEELS right, deep down. I still have my eye on the NW, and will always love it!

[Terry R.]

I can see that become a charming little place. You are going to have some fun hard work to do. Please keep us posted on your progress. Terry R

[peterh]

Looks like a nice little fixer-uppper home, April. As sad as it is for us here in the Pacific Northwest to hear you're going the opposite direction (we really aren't that scary, are we?), it does sound like a better choice, finances wise.

Good luck!

[April Wilcox]

If we could move the house and property to the NW I would do it in a heart beat, but sometimes you have to just play the cards you are dealt. We will still come out to visit the NW as often as possible (which might be more often with all the money we'll save by not having rent) until the time comes to move up there. We are looking at this as a step, whether or not we decide to stay there for a long time, we will be free to come and go, and possibly just have a 2nd home in TN after we move on to the next place. Thanks for all the well wishes! We will keep the updates coming in as we make progress.

[Lizbeth]

I think that house looks like a fun project. It has a chimney....I wonder if there is a fireplace behind that mantel in the pictures?
I have fireplace lust.

[SherryNPaul]

April,
I'm sure you'll love middle Tennessee. Camping within a hundred miles or so of Nashville is awesome. Tennessee has a wonderful state park system, and you'll find an amazing variety of parks in a couple hours' drive of your new home, especially easy for those of us with smaller trailers.
I have a few favorites: Falls Creek Falls and Mousetail Landings . Closer to you, Henry Horton. And then, you're so close to the Smokey Mountains and North Carolina... or head south on the Natchez Trace... a world of adventure awaits.
Looks like you have a few projects ahead of you with the house, but oh, so rewarding when you're done.
Have fun.
Sherry

[April Wilcox]

Yes there is a fire place in the main living room area, the photo's show it with a piece of wood panel over the opening to keep the wasp and other pest out of the house while it is not in use. Fortunately both Kirk and I are pretty handy people who like to take on projects that challenge us. Fixing up the camper was just a warm up to the work we have in store with the house. We are hoping to hire one of our all around handyman friends to come up to help us do some of the more complicated work, if we can talk him into it. Leveling the floor, updating the plumbing and fixing up the bathroom are main priorities. Luckily the house is pier and beam, so we shouldn't have too much trouble leveling the floor out, it's mainly sagging in the living room area. All the plumbing runs under the house too, and the crawl space is fairly generous for working under. I imagine we will have our share of challenges, but then we will also have plenty of time to deal with them. I am very happy we decided to do this, it's like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders that I didn't even realize was there.

[April Wilcox]

We are going to pack up the car and trailer today and tomorrow, and roll out at 4am tues. morning to head out to check on the house in TN! Wish us luck as we have not been out there in 3 years. I am hoping all is well, and just a little dustier than the previous visit. If we are able to get our mobile router to work, we will be on line. I will be sure to get some new pictures of the house and our trailer out in front of it! I am sooooo glad we have our egg to sleep in when we arrive.

[Alexandra B]

I am excited for you. I think you will find the right help will arrive for you at the right price as you will need it. I am sure you will make things work. I am looking forward to hearing all about your adventures. To me it looks like a great place to have an egg convention that could help with the house.

Alexandra

[April Wilcox]

hmmmmmm that's something to think about
We would have plenty of room for FG in the yard. I wonder what the neighbors would think. I could see that being a fun way to get some work done and meet other eggers.