Here are some personal updates!
Happy springtime!
As we transition from winter to spring, I figured now was a good time to write some life updates! Many of you have asked me one-on-one how I’m doing. In short: I’m doing well! I’ve loved living semi-alone (the contrast between when I’m alone and when the boys are here is about 100 decibels!)
Per Google: “Two kids yelling typically produce sound levels between 80 and 100+ dB, easily exceeding the 85 dB threshold where hearing damage can occur with prolonged exposure.” HA!
But in seriousness, I love having all three of our bedrooms so close together. I’ve loved when Birch comes into my room in the night and I have queen bed space for him. Cooking for 1-3 has been interesting, and I have an upcoming post on that topic! I love having my own bank account, YNAB plan, and goals. That isn’t to say this has all been easy. But I am doing ok most of the time!
Here are some updates:
Our House
The biggest update is that our house is under contract for sale. Yes, this is devastatingly sad. But it’s also aligned with my path forward towards simplicity and peace. Our house is beautiful, and we put so much attention to detail during the renovation. I really thought I would live there forever. It was a wonderful place to grow our family during those years.
It was also large and expensive. It carried a level of responsibility and unpredictability that always low-grade stressed me out. There were times when I wanted to sell everything and rent a small place.
I remember back to 2010 when I sold my first house before we moved here to Charlottesville. The day after closing, when the last of the utility bills had been cancelled, we moved in with KK for a month before our rental started in Cville. During that month, I finished my dietetic internship, passed the RD exam, and did lots of yoga. After selling a house, packing up all our stuff, and wrapping up my program, it was one of the most freeing months of my life. At the end of it, I felt untethered.
While I do think there is a certain level of grounding and stability that comes from owning a home, I don’t think it should be the end-all-be-all. This article by JL Collins is both funny and true. Read the section about a home being the Worst Possible Investment. “What if we came up with the worst possible investment we can construct? What might that look like?” The bullet points made me laugh. Another favorite financial teacher, Ramit Sethi, constantly preaches the plus side of renting.
- Your rent is the maximum you’ll pay per month
- Your mortgage is the minimum
And while homes certainly can make you money (as we are), you only make the money when you sell them! I can’t help but agree with these two at this point in life when I am craving simplicity.
Do I think I’ll buy a home again? Yes, I’m sure I will. When I do, I want something new, smaller, and low maintenance with a tiny yard. (No more expensive tree trimming!!)
But I will really miss the house I spent 11 years of my life in. I know the boys will too.
Substack Update
Changing gears, earlier this year I experimented with starting a Substack newsletter called Unprocessed. I was excited about the idea of a fresh platform and a new format for sharing my thoughts on real food and nutrition.
But as I started sketching out posts, I kept thinking, “This should be a blog post.” After writing here for so many years, I really value having everything I write live in one place — archived, searchable, and housed somewhere that I own. This blog has always been my favorite platform and the one that feels most like home.
On top of that, this year’s theme is simplicity. What was I thinking adding a new platform? I think I had an extra large dose of New Year’s energy and was overly excited to try something new.
So for now, I’ve decided to put a pause in my Substack and keep focusing my energy right here.
This isn’t a dramatic closure – just a intentional pivot back to the platform that fits me best.
Women’s Soccer
Another pivot is moving to women’s soccer! I’ve been itching to switch from co-ed to all women’s for a few seasons now. Playing against 22 year old men fresh out of college club soccer isn’t all that fun for this 43-year-old. I switched to women’s league over the winter, and will continue on this spring. It’s a plus that all the games are played near my new house!
I subbed with my old co-ed team the week before women’s started and met a giant dude cleat-to-shin that sent me to the ground. I feel lucky my leg wasn’t broken! This just confirmed that I’m making the right choice. (I did score a lucky left-footed goal in that game though, so I can still play with the guys!)
Before the bruising set in:
Watching + Reading + Listening
Watching: Fleabag. A really funny two-season show set in the UK with creative spin on storytelling. I learned it was first a one-woman play that was turned into the show, and the creator is the star! Watch it on Prime!
Watching: Survivor Season 50. So far so good, but I didn’t know the tea on Stephanie and no longer care for her.
Reading: Atmosphere. I’m having a little trouble getting into this one, but my friend Ellen has the same taste in books as me SWEARS it gets really good so I am pushing through!
Listening To: All Too Well (it’s been on repeat all year) and Brendan James (saw him in concert!!!)
On Simplicity
My goal for this year is to feel lighter, more peaceful, and to simplify any and everything I can. I have been downsizing some of the things I own (especially as we clean out the house), focusing more on the blog (per the substack section above!), and cutting unnecessary costs so I can focus my money on the things that I value most.
My parents are here visiting for my mom’s birthday, and it’s been a great time! More to share in a post later this week. I am so pumped for spring and summer weather. Every time winter ends, I think “we survived!!”
Thanks, as always, for being here to follow along.
Kath
