>>>THE QUEST FOR A SIMPLE LIFE<<<
You know when something is on your mind
or heavy on your heart and you start noticing signs of it all around you,
{honestly}…
everywhere you look?
That’s what has been happening to Husby and I lately.
I know I have mentioned throughout various posts my desire for a simpler life…
but recently, it’s really been beckoning.
We are fortunate to live in a beautiful area
and are surrounded by cherished friends and family…
but we know that God is leading us somewhere else.
It’s a feeling we both have had laid on our hearts for some time now…
and it just isn’t going away…
if anything, it’s only getting stronger.
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I guess I should give you some insight as to why I constantly crave this
“simple life.”
{At some point I will write a more thorough post on this…
(and in time, I dream of writing a book, or two)…
but for now I will give you a glimpse into a few years of my childhood}…
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When I was eleven years old,
and my younger brother was four,
our parents sold most of what we owned,
quit their demanding careers,
bought a sailboat…
and we traveled for two years
with the intentions of circumnavigating the world.
During these two years,
we sailed over 14,000 miles.
I was homeschooled during this time,
but the most valuable learning
didn’t come from the books we brought with us…
but rather the life experiences
of traveling to other countries and remote islands,
interacting with the locals,
attempting to speak their languages,
and surrounding ourselves with their beautiful cultures.
My happiest childhood memories are all of this time.
I cherish the experiences,
but also the together time we spent as a family.
This two-year snippet had the most profound impact on my life,
shaping my interests…
values…
and desires as an adult.
We left most material items behind,
{the luxuries of living on land}…
and just sailed.
We were together 24 hours a day.
Life was simple…
fishing for our dinner,
stargazing,
listening to Jimmy Buffet,
reading endless amounts of novels,
swimming and bathing in the ocean,
exploring cities and quaint little villages,
chatting with the locals and other cruisers {as we were called}….
It was a beautiful life…
My courageous parents took an incredible risk…
I can’t imagine the person I would be today, had they not…
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Having had that sort of childhood…
I have always known that I wanted to give our four children a feel of that “simple life”…
hopefully carrying on my parents’ adventurous spirits and instilling it in our kids.
Husby and I both feel strongly that the time is quickly approaching to make a big change.
The kids are growing up so fast,
and we only have one shot at raising them up right…
the way we’ve envisioned in our dreams.
{Image Via: Fancy Hands, Tumblr}
Although I would love to sell everything
{and literally},
set sail to far off places…
it isn’t realistic for us.
My parents were avid sailors,
and my brother and I were raised sailing from a very young age,
{not to mention},
Husby has a secure job as a firefighter working for a department that he loves.
I often joke that we just need to move to Costa Rica and live in a little beach bungalow,
but in all seriousness…
Husby and I know that we need to take a risk, and leave our area of comfort…
s e t t i n g s a i l i n o u r o w n w a y.
We aren’t one-hundred percent certain of the details
{like the when, where, and how — perhaps important!},
but we do feel like our family needs more open air…
more room to breathe,
more space to play and explore the outdoors.
A life that is closer to nature and more in tune with God…
where we have more time to focus on our family.
A life that is less demanding,
…less empty…
and less pressured to just “keep up.”
We are praying for God’s guidance,
and His will to be done.
So…
in the meantime,
I will keep you updated with our plans…
as we hopefully carryout some much needed changes in our family…
in the quest for a simple life.
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P.S. Remember how I told you I am seeing signs everywhere?
This was one of them…
a beautiful post
{that I know you’ll enjoy},
eloquently written by fellow blogger & friend,
Jennifer Wolfe {mamawolfe}….
{On the Corner of Dream Ave. and Believe St.: Stepping Out Of Our Comfort Zone}
{Image Via: Designspiration}
Click here for an update on this post!
Jennifer Wolfe says
Sara, thank you so much for mentioning my post in your essay. I think so many of us are looking for ways to make life meaningful for our children, and to look back towards what we loved about our own childhoods for inspiration. While today we may not be able to do the drastic jump that you parents did (sounds like it was life-changing!), we can find our own ways to create the life we want. I hope the path reveals itself to you soon.
Simply Happenstance says
Thank you so much for your kind words, Jennifer {mamawolfe}…. Your encouraging article to work towards leaving your comfort zone, really spoke to me when I read it the other day. I can’t wait to share about the adventure that we hope lies ahead. Until then, lots of prayer, planning and patience for us!
Jamie says
So beautifully written Sara!!! I love your sweet dream of a simpler life. I can’t wait to see where you will be guided to go.
Simply Happenstance says
What would I do without your amazing love and support, my sweet Jamie?! You are an angel here on Earth! Thank you for all of your words of encouragement the last few years! I love you, my friend! xo – Sara
Patricia Clark says
Sweet words about our trip Sara. As the mom , I was a bit worried to take such a huge step into the unknown. Your brother was just 4 and could not swim. A bit of a problem on a boat but solved with a life jacket on him if he was awake. As I shared with you — we decided to do it and left within a year. I don’t regret anything about taking the trip.. I grew as much as anyone of us by stepping out of my comfort zone. I can’t imagine who I would be today if we hadn’t done it.
Readers. What we did as a family sounds a bit crazy. We all grew very close during those two years. We learned more about life, love, ourselves, the world, people and God than we would of by staying in So Cal and working. It was hard. It was scary. It took some planning, however, it was worth everything.
Simply Happenstance says
Thanks, Mom, for sharing about our journey through your perspective. It was amazing…. can’t wait to someday write our book! Love you! – Sara