PROLOGUE - 2. THE CROSS-COUNTRY HOUSEHUNT

SPRING 2021. Fast forward to 2021, when the world was relaxing from the previous year. Tim started packing up beekeeping equipment and selling off beehives. We were certain we would move in 2021. I planted a “display garden” so that a prospective buyer would have fresh veggies in a well-manicured setting when they purchased the property (this is west St. Louis County, after all, where even faceplates in the house make a difference).

JUNE 2021 - We both kept cleaning out, packing and discarding stuff from our 17 years living on the farm. We decided to take a break and celebrate 31 years of marriage by taking a weeklong house-hunting trip to South Carolina.

If I had told you I went to Table Rock Lake, in MO, you would have expected to see me out there water skiing. However, this was North Carolina, the lake much smaller and beautiful The area was beautiful, we loved the Upcountry around Greenville and Spartanburg, yet there were no houses for sale that even remotely met our needs and price point. That was OK we were on a mission to also get familiar with the area as well.

SEPTEMBER 2021 By late summer, we were almost ready to put our house on the market, yet we had nowhere to go. Off we went for another house hunting week. this time we would head through Virginia and take in sights such as Smith Mountain Lake and an amazing burger spot in Rocky Mount - Yumm

In Virginia, we did find a house that had potential. However, it had so much work to be done and the seller was not willing to negotiate. So we decided to continue on and do more sightseeing. Off to Roanoke to the train museum then to the highest point in Virginia Mt Mitchell.

As we headed southward into North Carolina, Tim had a special surprise - bees, flowers and trains. There was a special display at the Biltmore with an immense holiday train set-up, featuring several train layouts, bridges and cars, winding through the greenhouses of the property. What could be better?

OCTOBER 2021 In October, we were off again. We had planned to rent a truck and carry patio furniture back to Nat and Mal in Raleigh, and sightseeing along the way, catching some of the North Carolina State Fairs - yes, they have more than one - the state is so diverse, it only makes sense.

Our first stop was Raleigh, where we met up with Mal, spent the night and went to the Eastern North Carolina state fair. Then we headed to far west NC to Rutherforton. All told we saw 18 homes and ended our trip in South Hill, VA.

Over the span of the three trips, we had identified 25 houses to view (however some were sold before we could get there) in 3 states and called upon 8 realtors to show us around. Little did we know, apparently the driving rules in NC are different than in MO. Use as much of the road as you deem necessary (not just one realtor did this, but several did).

Interestingly enough, the one house we had hesitated to view was to be our new home. We looked at it on Day 2 of our journey. After seeing that house, nothing measured up to it. We would have to see it again.