home

“Home” has really taken on a new definition since this past March.

For many people, their home became not just home – but their office. And maybe even more. It almost became a bunker. A place where you could feel safe.

Your fortress, to a point.

A home is many, many things … but I am not sure any of us could have predicted how things would have been shaped in 2020, right?

I’ve recently, in the past two years or so, have gotten myself better financially and have realized my current job is one I’ll likely be keeping for my career as it’s something I enjoy, has decent pay, and great benefits.

So I thought it would be good to start thinking about maybe buying a house. Or some land and get a home done so it’s mine from the beginning.

Finding what I truly want hasn’t been easy. There are times I look closer than others. I probably should contact an agent (I know a few) and have them start helping me.

What I seek is pretty defined. I want 8-10 acres, especially some wooded, so I can have some nature trails over time. A decent lawn so I can maybe have some apple trees and a garden of some sort.

If I am not having a house built (I would look at manufactured), I don’t want to have to do a ton of work (I’m not one who would do it myself), or if it requires a bunch of work – the price needs to be right.

When COVID first came about and then drained into the second and third months … I started thinking maybe I’d be able to find something at a decent price. Would it be a buyer’s market?

Turns out it’s not.

It’s a seller’s market. People from downstate are buying upstate homes, often sight unseen and paying higher than market value.

And well, that doesn’t help people like me.

So I keep working to find a house that I can turn into my long-term home. I know eventually, it will happen and I’ll be able to put my own stamp on it.

That home, though, might have to come after COVID!

Blog With Friends: November 2020
Blog with Friends is a themed collaboration challenge where a group of bloggers get together and publish a project based on a theme. Please see the others who have taken part for this month’s theme carrots. Links to their posts can be found below the image!

Check out what the others did with home!

Enjoy blogging challenges? We have several that happen here, and we’d love to have you join us! The Photo Blogging Challenge is one of our main ones and it runs monthly! Join us as well for the Food Photo Challenge!. We’d love to see you!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

Traveling is great, but it’s always nice to head home!

I love traveling.

It’s truly refreshing to see other places in the world, whether near or far from your home base. To see how people live, interact and do the same sort of things you might do is a fun way to almost escape reality.

Traveling is tiring though!

I’ve heard people speak about this in the past and I always wondered what they were talking about. When I traveled years ago, I’d go full-force for several days, sleep in, have full days and nights and come back raring to go. But as I’ve aged ever-so-slightly, I see what people are talking about.

It can wear you out.

With traveling around wherever you are, packing in things to do, places to eat and, sometimes, a few cordials, some people “work” harder when on vacation than in the real world.

Personally, I don’t usually skip a beat once a vacation ends. I can kick back into gear doing what I need to do and usually have no “lag” in regard to energy and such. Even after flying somewhere. I don’t know why that is, but it seems to work well enough for me. It could be that I usually try and plan a day or two off after a vacation.

But I have realized something — when ending a vacation, it does always feel good to be home at last.

No matter where I’ve been, it’s nice to get back to normal. And I can say, even if I ever won some massive lottery and got to travel at will, going home is always mice. Friends, family and everything else — it’s nice to be back to normal.

I’ve been lucky to travel to some pretty cool places in my life, whether work-related or personal. From Ireland to Montreal to Austin to Florida — I’ve had some fun times.

But it’s always nice to come home.

The best part of it is it makes you yearn to keep traveling. To see more places and things. To get a feel of a culture you aren’t used to as much as normal. But that’s why it’s a vacation and not home, right?

Put yourself into these situations. How many times have you come back from a great vacation and said something along the lines of “That was a great vacation, but it’s great to be home at last.”

My feeling is many of you have said it. I know I have.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!