Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth

Come on get happy!

Yeah, I'm, stealing Pharrell Williams song.

I had a conversation with a co-worker who had read the blog.

"Man, I've been reading the blog. It sounds like you are having a terrible time."

I was stunned for just a second. Terrible time? Me? Couldn't be further from the truth.

I suppose, looking at it objectively, it could appear that way. I mean, we are finding mold and rot and decrepit crap everywhere. The amount of work required seems to grow the more work we do. It's like some perpetual problem creation machine.

Isn't that cool?

Lemme try to explain.

One of the great things about traveling, aside from gorgeous scenery and meeting cool people, is challenge. I mean, everything is new all the time. There is no regular grocery store, gas station, nothing. You can't go on auto pilot. You have to be engaged, in the moment, and figuring things out as you go, all the time. There are lots of moving parts. We had to deal with the RV, the kids, my schedule, planning trips, budgeting for trips, finding RV parks and all while taking care of the myriad number of things that go wrong in any given day.

Being a traveler means being immersed in your life. Very few, if any, things are done without purpose and thought. Your life isn't led by accident. Sure, beautiful Serendipity comes along and surprises you with something awesome from time to time (as does her cousin Chaos) but you recognize those moments more clearly, I think, because you are so engaged and in the moment of your day-to-day life.

Sarah and I looked at a few houses that were essentially finished. Take the keys, move in and get comfy.

No way.

This house, with all of its faults and projects, requires effort. It requires constant thought and engagement. I've learned so much in just the first what, three weeks, that it is amazing to me.  I always feel like I'm learning and growing more capable as a person. Just like traveling.

So, am I tired? Oh heck yeah? Is there stress? Definitely. But, I am not having a terrible time. Far from it.

I'm like a kid with a real life erector set and it's cool.

I know there will be days when all of this seems overwhelming and I will just want to set fire to the place and be done with it, but not now.  I'm not naive. So I'm squeezing every ounce of enjoyment and enthusiasm out of this I can. And when it gets rough, I'll pull out my ace.

All of this is for me and my family.

Instead of working hard to put money in someone else's pocket, what we do here is for us. It will be done our way, by us, because we thought about it and decided we wanted to.

How cool is that?

If I get any busier, I'll be like Sarah.