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Heartwarming Small-Town Romances and Thrilling Mysteries

I implied it in my last blog, but I’ll confirm it now. Hubby and I are selling our house and leaving Idaho for now. Or maybe for good.

We’ve been talking about selling our house for a while now. The market in Boise is hot and where we live, it’s very hot. We’re within biking and walking distance of downtown; are on the Greenbelt that runs the length of the Boise River through Boise, Garden City, and Eagle; and we’re by the waterpark where people can kayak, surf, paddleboard, and swim. It’s a 15-minute drive or $20 taxi ride (with tip) to the airport, and the hospital is 10 minutes or less away. It’s all about location.

We bought this place when the development was just getting started in 2007. Remember the bubble that burst in 2008? It hit here too. That downturn kept things from being developed very fast. For years, we could look out the front of our house at the river and Greenbelt, see the lights of downtown shining off the ponds, and watch the snow come and go on the mountains outside of town. My office was less than a 10-minute drive away. It was ideal for a while.

Fast forward to today, it’s all built up around us. We can no longer see the river; three-story townhouses surround us so it’s like living in a canyon only not as pretty; there’s no off-street parking and the curbs are always filled with other people’s cars; and it’s very noisy with all the people coming and going to the restaurants, outdoor markets, and the water park. While some people love living in the center of excitement, we prefer a quiet neighborhood where our visitors can park in front of our house. We decided it was time to let someone else live here.

The problem with selling is finding a place to live after you do. Finding a new house and having a contingent offer on it doesn’t work here or where we’re considering going. You need cash in hand to get the next place. Or at least it works better that way. Our best option was to look for apartments to live while we sold our house and looked for another one.

That problem was solved when Hubby’s aunt and uncle offered to let us house-sit their nice home in Rapid City for the winter while they go south. It seems crazy to leave the mild winters of Boise for the frigid Arctic-type winters of South Dakota, but it solved a problem we’d been struggling with so we jumped at the chance. We’ll have the winter to decide where we go from there. Back to the Boise area, on to Texas, stay in South Dakota, or on to some other place? Who knows. Maybe we’ll just throw a dart at the map.

This winter we’ll likely be at home more than usual, snug and warm in a house while outside the winter winds blow. We’ll be praying for inspiration on where to go next. We’re open to suggestions.

It’s very hard to leave my precious friends, my writing circle of friends and editors, and the best dental hygienist I’ve ever had. Hubby can hardly stand the thought of leaving his trusted mechanics and their repair shops that are all within walking distance, and a doctor who knows him very well. Those things are not easily replaced and some can never be, and it breaks my heart to say goodbye…although coming back to this area is still on the list.

I’ve said lots of prayers about this for months and months asking for guidance. An opportunity was provided which I believe was an answer. So here we go. I trust the Lord will guide us where we need to be.

8 Responses

  1. First of all, congratulations! Second….Rapid City is the banana belt of South Dakota!!! I do feel your pain though! It was hard, after my divorce, to decide where to go & what to do, especially when you have lived in one place for very long! Fast forward 13 years & everything fell into place. I truly believe that when one door closes God opens something better. Your faith will guild you through this! Good Luck, Shelley

  2. Thank you for sharing! Good luck in your adventure! The Hills will be happy to have you back, if even only for a winter. Sending you good vibes and strong prayers for a safe and healthy adventure!

  3. Yippee, you guys will do GREAT! You have all winter to see what you want to do. Rapid City is beautiful, Craig will have his sister’s support which will help with the grieving process of after loosing his mom. Let the faith you both have together to make the best decisions for both of you. Happy for both of you! Of course, we want you in SD and able to see you more often.

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