What Does the Future Hold for Us??

I ask myself this everyday and with the number of psychics in this area offer a BOGO or a $10 reading deal, I am really surprised that I haven't stopped in. There's always today, right?? I wish I was the type of person that could just be content with what I have, but I have ALWAYS been looking to upgrade, transfer, change, you name it. Three years ago it was making sure everything for baby #1 was perfect. Yes, we got a few things that we didn't need, needed to get a few things that we didn't think we did, and had the most perfect child care provider for Tripp that anyone could have asked for. Mrs. Ashlee who stole Tripp's heart first. At that time we were living in a perfect house only built a year and a half before we purchased it with a two car garage, HUGE back yard that we fenced in for Stuey by the awesome Mennonite's, great kitchen, GREAT sunroom, and family 10 miles away. What more could I have asked for?? I had a great network of women at Harrisonburg Junior Women's Club that we met the first Wednesday of every month and belonged to a book club that met on the second Wednesday. But that all changed on February 25th, Ash Wednesday, at 9 pm when Greg got the call that he had gotten the Head Coaching position at Towson University. I knew before even discussing it that we were going to be moving to MD, leaving our families, leaving our friends, and leaving the Valley that I had spent my entire life living in. I think I cried every single day, and probably for a good month even after we were officially Marylanders. We got to work right away, making our 4 bedroom, 3.5 bath townhome our own. Stripping wallpaper, after wallpaper and painting like our last name was Painter, not Paynter. We worked hard for exactly 1 1/2 years until a month before our sweet Baxter joined us and Tripp was officially in his big boy room with his big boy bed. So for seven months now I haven't picked up a paint swatch, even though our basement is screaming for help, but rather I have become a insomniac looking at houses. One of my guilty pleasures is watching the TODAY show in the morning and the real estate guru states that as long as you are upgrading from your current home, it is okay to take a hit on the price you ask for when selling. So of course, I got the itch to move. But where?? Well, if I had my way it would be Harrisonburg of course, and I'm sure Tripp would agree since his cousins are there and Mom-Mom's house with the big pool is there, but it's a little more complicated than that. That three letter word called JOB is here and I'm not too sure the company is going to be as nice transferring me back after two years. We're contemplating two areas in the great Baltimore area. It was three when I was looking at houses in the Roland Park area (BEAUTIFUL) until I realized the taxes in Baltimore City were double compared to the county. Now we've narrowed it down to the Towson area, particulary the Stoneleigh/Anneslie area where the older homes have so much charm and character and a lot of kids in the neighborhood and everything is within walking distance, or the Parkton/Monkton area where we could get 2 acres of land and a decent size house, but we'd lose the convenience of a Target five minutes away, and TCBY within a mile walk (thinking of the necessities of course). So this is where the title comes in...What does the future hold for us?? Gosh I wish I knew. If we were going to stay here I could concentrate my efforts on making a home here, but I find myself at night looking at real estate in Harrisonburg. Why? Because my heart is there. Because my family is there. Because I want so badly for the boys to grow up in the Valley where I did. Am I unhappy where we are? No. We've got great friends here, the Wilhelmsens are practically family in our eyes and heart. But is this where we are meant to be? I haven't gotten any signs that this is it. But you know me, I can't stand to hurry up and wait. Last Monday, April 27th, was exactly 2 years to the day that we moved to Maryland on that raining Friday and I've got the itch. The itch to do something. To make a change, to make the upgrade. Maybe, just maybe, I'll stop at that psychic today....more to come.