We've been back in Arkansas for a year now. Living on Brandon's parents' farm has been pretty dreamy. We've made some sacrifices to live here---we downsized our possessions (not nearly enough though), we live in about a 600 sq ft space with no doors or storage, and we've given up some privacy to a degree. But having a huge garden and orchard outside the front door is wonderful. And it's so peaceful here. There's a constant choir of birds and frogs, punctuated with the occasional bellow of a cow and the daily chicken clucks.
An incredibly pleasant home environment doesn't make up for what else we're lacking. I miss the community and friends I had in Springfield. Living in sleepy Mountain Home is also not helping me grow with business or artistic opportunities very easily. The opportunities are still coming in, but executing them is much harder.
We weren't actively looking for a place to move, but we knew that we wouldn't stay in Mountain Home for too long. So we've just been a bit open-minded and using this time as a stepping-off point. When we were in Springdale, AR last month, Brandon did a bit a research on local jobs while I taught a workshop. We've been impressed with the revitalization of that area, and it seems as though we'd fit right in to the local communities. As it happens, Brandon found a job that perfectly embodied his skill set and resume. He applied, and we waited. He then interviewed twice and got it! This was earlier in June, so since then we've been planning the move.
We really like Fayetteville, so that's where we want to live. For now, we'll be renting a home, but we'll likely search for one to buy after a while. *Side note-it's not easy to find a rental in a town where you don't live. It's also even harder finding one that will allow one cat and two dogs that are not 25lbs or less. But we finally did, and we officially move this Thursday. Brandon is excited to start his new job on Monday. And I'm excited to feel like I belong to a community! So here we come, Northwest Arkansas!
