Back from my sabbatical, time for a major change!

[Mr. Kilt]

What a way to relax and do some soul-searching. 9 days on a motorcycle trip back home to visit my brothers and old friends, plus make some life-changing decisions.

As some of you know from my previous posts, I'm currently off work on stress-related leave. I love my job as a bus driver, but I really don't like living in this city any more. There are numerous reasons behind that, but a move away from here is needed. I hate the thought of giving up a great-paying job, but it has to be done. Karen's not happy living here any more as well. Too much stress.

Karen and I have tossed around a bunch of ideas, including moving to the city of Winnipeg Manitoba. While I was there last week I checked out house prices, locations, utility and insurance rates, etc. It looked pretty good, but not great, plus we'd still be in a fairly large city.

I've been searching for properties online for the past few months, and I found a place in a tiny farming village in SW Manitoba. Quite a major change going from a city with over a million people to a village of 300. It's fairly close to the region I grew up in, and it's clean and quiet. On my way back home last week I stopped by to look the place over.

It was built in 1906 (we both LOVE old houses), it's currently being used as a combination tea house/wood weaving crafts place, and it's VERY busy. Somewhat of a local legend, in fact. We could buy the business as well as the house, but I think I'd prefer to start our own teahouse and antique/collectibles shop, something with perhaps a Celtic theme. If Pour1 can cross the globe and start his own B&B, why can't we do something similar?

Houses in this village are very affordable, especially with what our current house is worth in the crazy Calgary housing market. With what we'd clear after selling our place, we could afford to pay cash for this tea house as well as the house across the street from it. Use the tea house as the business and live in the other one and still have a pile of cash left over to invest. And if everything fails, there are trucking jobs in the region so I would still have a paycheck.

What do you people think? Keep my job here where I'm not happy living, or throw it all away to strike out on our own? I've added a couple of pics of both the yellow tea house as well as one of the huge old house across the street from it.

[macgreggor]

Good morning Al,

Sounds like this is a win win sort of thing. At worst, you leave the big city and end up driving truck. Not a lot different than what you do now but without all the people behind you. If BOTH of you are unhappy where you are, why not?

(Input from an 'ignorant old hoof trimmer'. Worth exactly what you paid for it!)

Greg

[cavscout]

Not sure where you get off thinking you should be happy

I say go for it! Carpe Diem, so to speak

Life is too short and full of opportunity to stay in a situation you are not happy with when you see little likelihood of the at improving.

FYI, There are lots of homes in our little community down here in Jefferson

[MysticMead]

if you can sell your current house...and pay cash for 2 houses...and still have money leftover... GO FOR IT!! your mental happiness is worth a lot more than being around more people....

[Kid Cossack]

Strike out, Al!

I won't run down big cities or bus driving, because everyone brings their own preferences to the world with them. But if you've found a plan that lets you do what you want to do, and you can cash out of the Calgary housing market before it crashes, I'd say go for it.

Success!

[mddock58]

Sounds like you already know what you both want, now you just need to put your desires into action!

Other changes down the road may end up making this possibility an impossibility, so while you both desire the change, you should consider it very seriously!

[mbhandy]

if you can sell your current house...and pay cash for 2 houses...and still have money leftover... GO FOR IT!! your mental happiness is worth a lot more than being around more people....

What He said.
And if you don't go for it. Where is this villiage again?

Always scary to make a move but I did it 27 years ago and for the most part I sure have enjoyed the change. Never would have met Marilyn or enjoyed the fresh air of Mountian living.

MrBill

[Rampant Lion]

Al,
I say go for it! From a financial stand-point it makes sense, and you'll be closer to friends and family. Just make sure we can do one more kilt night before you go.

[cessna152towser]

As others have said, you can cash in now on the house in Calgary and if business works out good and well, if not you can always do truck driving there. It sounds somewhat less drastic than the move out of Calgary which my wife's cousin made - nearing retiral age he and his wife left Calgary two or three years back and moved all the way to Australia. Best of luck with whatever you decide.

[BEEDEE]

Looks like a good opportunity - but be sure you can both handle the stress of being on the job full time with the tea room and/or handling staff. Celtic theme with good tea and scones, oatcakes, toast and marmalade etc would certainly get me stopping if I was in the area.

Good luck,

Brian