Building your own house is not always easy

 

20161125_124008Deciding to create my own homestead was not an overnight decision. It was years in the making. Each year that I worked as an Assistant Athletic Director at UMaine, I got more and more burned out. Traveling with the men’s ice hockey team for years was the experience of a lifetime, but never having a weekend off from October to March got harder and harder each year. I felt I was missing more and more of life.

On the road, there were times I would wake up and actually have to think about what city we were in. I would often think of the farmland that my family owned back in central Maine. Especially around Christmas time, I greatly missed being at home on the Christmas Tree Farm. There is just something about seeing a family come and choose their Christmas tree that is magical. On the road, I’d dream about being back on the farm.

Now, although our Christmas Tree Farm is not open anymore, the farm is still where I want to be. It was this constant tugging at my heart over the years that made making a change easier.

Yesterday we got the Tyvek wrap on two sides of the house. We also got four of the first floor windows in yesterday before Thanksgiving dinner.

As much as I want to be building my own house, this morning I did not want to be at the homestead. The goal for the morning was to get the rest of the Tyvek on and put the final first floor windows in. It was 33 degrees with a steady mist mixing with occasional snowflakes and absolutely miserable outside. It was the last place that I wanted to be, but I needed to be there as we needed to finish getting the house wrapped and the windows in.

We finished about 12:30 p.m. and I was so relieved. With the exception of putting in the big front windows and the one in the loft, all the windows are in and the house is pretty much set for winter. We may or may not get the siding on, but I feel really good with the condition of the outside of the house. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. Well, maybe not yet.

As miserable as I was this morning, it made me think that this is what homesteading is all about. It’s not always going to be easy, but most things worth having don’t come easy.

Laura Reed

About Laura Reed

After 15 years in college athletics, the last seven as an assistant athletics director, I was burned out with 70-hour work weeks and extensive travel. I resigned my position and accepted a position in marketing at a small, vibrant college in my hometown of Unity, Maine. In the process I wanted to go back to my childhood where we raised polled Herefords, had a Christmas Tree Farm and spent many hours outside. I decided I wanted to build my own home on beautiful farmland that my family owns. With help from my Dad, the most talented person I’ve ever met, we are building my home together. I have decided to blog my experience – the ups and downs, the joys and frustrations. What was once an open field will one day be my home! The dream in my head is becoming reality. I can just see the lambs frolicking in the field, chickens in the barnyard and going running with my Alaskan Malamute!