On balancing home and travel

"Be mindful of where you put your attention; the shape of your life will follow."~ Author unknown

Our old house in Juneau

It doesn't take long after we return from a trip, for Scotty and I to start planning the next one. Sometimes we even have two or three lined up. Part of this may have to do with the fact that Juneau is surrounded by mountains on one side and the ocean on the other. You can actually only drive about fifty miles of road, north and south, and maybe fifteen miles east and west. When you get to one end it looks like this in the north:

And this in the south:

Hence, one two of the reasons we travel so much.

But traveling also means directing resources- money, energy, time- away from home. And getting a home of our own is something I've begun to really, really want. Part of that realization sparked when Scotty and I had to move out of the little cabin/house we rented for over five years together when the owner sold. That was a little over a year ago. And although our current place is fine, it definitely doesn't feel like ours the way the way the old one did.

Juneau's real estate market is such that you can't get much for under $250,000. And as of yet, I just don't want to devote such a large chunk of my income to paying a mortgage and interest. So for the time being, we're still renting, though we're working on changing that.... in an unconventional way, of course. ;)

This article that inspired me to think a little more about the decisions we make regarding home and travel. It basically reassured me that while making a comfortable home is indeed important, experiences can be incredibly valuable in maintaining a high quality of life.

I'll be back soon with more about life in Juneau, Alaska!

I may be living in something like this upon retirement if I don't quit buying plane tickets. Actually this is so cool, maybe I'll keep buying plane tickets!

(Teardrop camping trailer, parked at the Auke Rec Campground in Juneau)