Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

So what do you do if you find that you have just lost your job, can't afford to live in the house you purchased, and all seems to be turned upside down?  With today's economy, our family is not the only ones experiencing this issue.  I have been asked by several people to write a blog regarding our up and coming adventure.  So, here it is...

First I'll give a little background into our life as it was 60 days ago.  My husband and I met at a software company in Minneapolis 14 years ago, and now have been married as of May 8th, 8 years.  Wes started a Computer IT business out of our home at the same time 7 years ago.  With over 700+ customers this was a very successful business.  We added a electronics recycling shop 3 years ago here in Brainerd after watching a 60 minutes episode about recycling.  This too was successful.

60 Days ago we were given notice that the people we were sharing the building with were expanding their business and wanted us out.  This is where life started to become interesting.  We had over 5000 square feet of recycling space to clear out and 700+ customers to shuffle to another contact.  We were able to sell the recycling portion of the business and 5 semi-trucks later the shop was empty.  Wes was able to hook up with another individual here in town he had been working with for over 10 years to shuffle the IT work to.

We had scheduled a visit with a customer in North Dakota a week before we were given notice, to look at what they were going to be doing with the Wind Farms in the same area as the Bakken Oil Fields in ND.  Angry, depressed, uncertain of what we were going to do with our future, we hopped in the truck and drove to Kenmare, ND.  We spent two days in that area, talking about all the possibilities we might have.  Excited we ended up getting up at 5 in the morning and started our 9 hour drive to Baxter.  Neither of us wanting to tell the other our plans on selling everything we own to move;  an hour into the drive, each of us sang like a canary to the other about what they wanted to do... ending up being the same idea.  Move to ND and start over!

On a whim, we stopped by an RV dealer and looked at campers (there is no housing at this time in ND).  We found a 31' Aspen Trail we now needed to figure out how to buy.

We started the process...  60 days, 31' camper, unknown destination....

I challenge you to go through your home and sell, trade, or give away everything you own.  This has been a long and difficult process for us.  I'm a quilter and had a hoard that would make you blush!  We are almost there.  The shop closed about two weeks ago, two quilting yard sales later we are almost ready to hit the road.  Next weekend will be our final taadaa to get rid of stuff (anyone who knows me is looking for another word there, but I'm trying to be good at least for my first post.)  The K-Bid auction ends on Friday so Saturday we will be having a final fire sale and hit the road.

What have we done to reduce our stuff?  We needed a different truck to pull the camper, so we sold our 1990 Jaguar and purchased a 1997 One Ton Dodge Truck.  My quilt room has a month of sorting and reducing.  With the help of my friend I was finally able to do this and should take photos of the space inside the camper where everything is.  Kitchen items...  I love to cook, so the choice was Kitchen Aid Mixer or Cuisinart Food Processor... The food processor won.  Kitchen Aid was sold within a week.  We placed an ad on Craig's List for the living room set and the dining room set.  A very nice gentleman from Walker purchased it all.  The oak entertainment center, 45" Samsung TV, leather couch and chair, dining room set and the little bench to hold our shoes.  I have to say I cried at this point.  There was no going back!  We had officially removed all the flat surfaces from our house in one swoop.  

We were able to purchase the camper and started filling it with the stuff that would work.  I was surprised at how nothing really fit in the cabinets.  One weekend I spent between three different stores trying to purchase organizing items for the camper and had to actually return all but two things.  Very aggravating..  But, it does make you look at items in a whole new way.  I think 3M hooks are my new best friends!  

We traded our DVD's for two hand guns at the local pawn shop. Yes, hand guns and will be taking a safety and carry class in Fargo two weeks from Sunday.  Should be interesting! 

Ok... I've got work to do to prepare for our departure this week... I'll keep posting...

We are going to be Living Like Gypsies at 40!!