A Slower Pace

Being a country music listener, quite a few of the songs on the radio resonate with me. I will occasionally post the lyrics of some of the more pertinent songs to our current situation.

Toby Keith
"My List"

Under an old brass paperweight is my list of things to do today
Go to the bank and the hardware store, put a new lock on the cellar door
I cross ’em off as I get ’em done but when the sun is set
There’s still more than a few things left I haven’t got to yet

Chorus
Go for a walk, say a little prayer
Take a deep breath of mountain air
Put on my glove and play some catch
It’s time that I make time for that
Wade the shore and cast a line
Look up a long lost friend of mine
Sit on the porch and give my girl a kiss
Start livin’, that’s the next thing on my list

Wouldn’t change the course of fate but cuttin’ the grass just had to wait
‘Cause I’ve got more important things like pushin’ my kid on the backyard swing
I won’t break my back for a million buck I can’t take to my grave
So I’ll put off for tomorrow what I could get done today

Chorus

Raise a little hell, laugh ’til it hurts
Put an extra five in the plate at church
Call up my folks just to chat
It’s time that I made time for that
Stay up late, then oversleep
Show her what she means to me
Catch up on all the things I’ve always missed
Just start livin’ that’s the next thing on my list

Under an old brass paperweight
Is my list of things to do today

While I have painted Kentucky as a great place for us to move and raise our family, it has its share of detriments, cons, negatives or whatever you want to call them. This exercise will lay out those things we will miss here in California and describe what we are not looking forward to in Kentucky.

It will be interesting to review this list in 6 months to see if what we expect to miss from California and not like in Kentucky ends up being reality. This list will also be different for every person.

What we will miss from California:

• the consistent nice weather
• the topography – mountains, beach, etc.
• the beach – I know I already said it but it gets two since the kids love it
• In N Out burgers
• having everything within about a 10 minute drive
• the leisurely, slow pace of life
• scratch that last one — I was seeing if you were paying attention. Hah!
• friends and family so close

What we don’t expect to like in Kentucky:

• more bugs than California
• humidity
• tornados
• not having everything at our fingertips
• restaurants with a "smoking" section

Again, it will be interesting to see what is actual reality once we settle in there. I just do exercises like this to keep a healthy perspective. No place is perfect and California has been good to us and gotten our family this far. I just believe that our family needs more and California has changed to a point where other locations will be more beneficial for the family for the long term (20 to 30 years out).

…..Dan at aslowerpace

As I sit here with a terribly full belly, I can appreciate all the blessings that have been showered upon my family. We all have the basics being Americans — life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. But I can be thankful for so much more – faith, family, health, employment and home — and even more.

I hope we can all take a moment and reflect on all that we have to be thankful for. If you need help, watch the evening news. There are millions of people throughout the world whose only difference from you is a luck of the draw being born in an impoverished or war-torn country.

And while you are counting your blessings, let those close to you know you are thankful for them too.

…..Dan at aslowerpace

In preparation for the Thanksgiving decorations, the big meal and our guests, my wife did a creative project to add some personality to the table. She used different fall colored construction paper and cut out shapes of leaves. She then had each family member write what they are thankful for on each leaf and laminated them. Below are a few of the samples.

My blessings
– I am thankful for my faith.
– I am thankful for my wife and kids.
– I am thankful for opportunities.
– I am thankful for the ability to love, nurture, enjoy and provide for my family.

My wife
– I am thankful for my happy and healthy family.
– I am thankful for all of God’s blessings.
– I am thankful for holidays to celebrate.

The kids
– I am thankful for my familiy and my dogs.
– I am thankful for playing ball with Daddy.
– I am thankful for friends to play with.
– I am thankful for books to read.
– I am thankful for my room.

In chatting with a friend today about our move, they quoted something their dad told them a long time ago. The timing is particularly interesting.

"Don’t add years to your life. Add life to your years."

That quote completely encapsulates the reason for our move. I couldn’t say it better myself. What a simple, yet insightful sentence.

Thanks to that friend for sharing.

…..Dan

I have been travelling to Kentucky three to four times annually for a few years now. Every time I have gone, I have been impressed with the slower pace, the friendliness and the lower cost of living. During a recent trip this summer, I took a greater interest and began doing research on the possibilities of moving the family there. My company has a presence there so that was one piece of the puzzle. Another piece was the incredible appreciation in the real estate market in California — so much so that I would not be able to afford the house I live in. What’s up with that?

The other pieces that were appealing were the friendliness of the people, the family values atmosphere and the slower country lifestyle. All these combined, proved to be a draw for what we are looking for and what is best for our family.

This summer, I took my wife and oldest daughter out for a quick trip to determine if this was something our family could actually do. We discussed the pros, cons and options — almost to the point of overkill. We finally determined, as a family, that a move to Kentucky would allow the family greater opportunities for the long term. We were now all on the same page and I could pursue career options with my company in Kentucky.

Fast forward through meetings, phone calls and interviews. I now have a position with my current company in Louisville, Kentucky. Luckily, the company is paying all relocation costs (another benefit and piece to the puzzle). We found a house and property and are closing in the middle of December. The move is during an inopportune part of the year, this being the holiday season and all, but it will get us out there before the beginning of the year and allow us to settle a bit before new school and new work starts.

That is the current state of affairs. A few weeks and counting.
…..Dan

Below are some basic facts that will help you understand where we are coming from in our decision to leave Thousand Oaks, California for Louisville, Kentucky.

We are a family of five living in Thousand Oaks, CA. My wife, Maria, is a full time stay at home mom with her hands full raising two girls and a boy. Enabling her to stay home was one of the biggest and most important decisions we faced several years ago. We have been blessed that we have been able to make it work through all the struggles. That focus, commitment and sacrifice is a core to what we believe in. You could say it is a precursor to this decision to leave the home we have created here in California for a slower pace of life in the countryside of Kentucky.

My employment is a non-typical (for California) 3 minute commute away. Luckily, I have been able to take advantage of this by coming home for lunch, attending school performances and coaching kids’ soccer. I have been blessed with a great employer however, I will not retire any time soon staying here in California. We are not rich but also don’t live paycheck to paycheck. College funding needs some attending to and our last vacation was a modest jaunt up the California coast hitting Best Westerns along the way.

The kids are spread out in age so one attends middle school, another is in elementary and another is in pre-school. They get the typical suburban tract home neighborhood experiences — playing in the front yard, watching tv and quarreling with each other as siblings do.

Church attendance is a semi-regular occurance — more frequent than just Christmas and Easter but not your die-hard every week. Values are important to our family and we routinely teach the kids prayer, manners and respect. As with kids, this needs consistent reinforcement. Hopefully, you catch us on a good day. I am also a realist.

Extracurricular activities are cyclical — kinda like church. We are very good home bodies but when we get out we enjoy local hikes (under 1 mile — the little legs get tired), the zoo, the beach and trips to Home Depot and Target. Oh yeah, and Grandma and Grandpa’s house along with also visiting Opa.

That’s about it. It’s a pretty good base to start with.
…..Dan

Where does one start when creating a documentary of a family’s decision to check out of the rat race? A lot of homework has been done to get us to this point, but the journey is just beginning. We are still in our old home, old job, old schools and old lives. What lies ahead of us is a new life that will include a transformation to a completely different way of life — a way of life we intend to be better for our family, our kids, and ourselves.

The intent of this blog is to document the journey, share the experience and encourage others who might be of the same mindset. We’re jumping into the pool first to test the water. Along the way, we’ll let you know how it is.

Thanks for joining us.
…..Dan