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Coming Back Home
Well, our two months in Arizona were over like a flash and we’re back in Saint Paul in the middle of a freak, record-breaking snow storm. We really enjoyed our time in Scottsdale and it wasn’t just the weather. First, I was shocked at how many people we knew in Phoenix. In addition to my parents, I have a lot of extended family who winter or live in the Phoenix area and I have now learned that many of John’s golf friends spend part of their winter there. Although we really enjoyed our time alone, there was no shortage of golf or dinner companions.
Second, I felt very relaxed there and I attribute a lot of my reduced stress to renting a house. (These millennials might be on to something.) I had no lists of things to have updated or repaired. I didn’t need to coordinate or oversee the people who did the yard work, filled the propane tank or cleaned the pool. When there was an issue with the pool or sprinkler system, it wasn’t my problem to fix. My daily chores consisted of cooking, dishes, laundry and walking the dog. The extent of my decorating was buying candles and flowers – you know, the fun stuff. It was nice to pour a cup of coffee in the morning and sit at my computer for hours working on my blog or other projects without worrying about all of the other things I should be planning, organizing or repairing.
I know buying a home in a warm weather location is our long-term plan and even though I’m excited to decorate another home and live there with all of my own things; as the person who oversees the household, I am in no rush to have another To Do list.
I must admit, I did enjoy the view of the pool from my desk in Arizona more than this view of snow from my desk in Saint Paul.
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Working Long Distance Versus Vactioning
When we decided to work from Arizona for the months of February and March, I think many people were under the impression we would be on a two-month vacation. The first thing John and I did in our rental home was claim our office spaces.
We pulled a desk from one of the bedrooms into a nook in the kitchen for me and we set up the printer and John’s multiple computer screens, keyboard and laptops in the casual dining room. I will admit working with a view of a pool and palm trees is a lovely change of scenery; but with this new blog and all of the projects I kept putting off while we were getting ready to leave Saint Paul, I’m logging more computer time than I ever did at home.We have gotten into a nice routine during the week; whoever is up first in the morning, puts on a pot of coffee before sitting down to work. Then, John and I will often work for hours without saying more than a few words to each other. Our first full week alone in our rental house, we found ourselves working 10+ hour days and the week flew by. On the second week, we realized if we weren’t careful our two months in Scottsdale would be over and we wouldn’t have done anything fun together except when we had company in town. So, we decided to set aside time at least twice during the week to do something fun – sometimes we go on a hike or a long walk through the neighborhood with Sadie, other times we just go exploring or out for happy hour in a new part of town. Our first month in Arizona has already ended and we have a lot of company in March so I feel like we’ll be loading the car up for the trip back home before we know it.
AND, it’s also the time to find a home to rent for February and March 2019! Our plans right now are to rent in the Florida gulf area. Now that we’ve gotten a feel for “living” in the desert, we need to give equal time to the beach. I’m truly shocked at some of the homes for rent on VRBO. Of course, there are many beautiful homes, but I’m talking about the ones that are over decorated, incredibly outdated or painted crazy neon colors. And, they are still asking premium prices because of their location. Every time I start looking on VRBO, I say, “John we should buy and rent out houses in this area.” Easier said than done, but seriously… if you’re going to rent out your house, please at least clean out the closets and wash the dirty dishes before you take photos!
Any tips on where to stay or things to do on the Florida gulf side?