Hillside

 This sketch was inspired by my hillside, though it isn't nearly that steep, in reality.

About a year ago, I came to conclusion (or, rather, accepted the conclusion) that my house and yard were too much for me to manage by myself. I was successful in its care, but was drained, and consumed.

I took my job in NH in 2018 as I needed a change, and the College's location (and, the house's, specifically) suited me, as just a few miles from my father's campsite. The house gave him ample opportunities to putter.

In COVID, I've been working remotely--as not student-facing, we're one less detail to manage. My father hasn't returned since the pandemic hit, nor is he likely to.

Looking about, one terribly snowy day, as I shoveled the pathways around my house, I took careful inventory of the house. 

"I'll spend my whole summer scraping and painting this place," I thought with frustration.

The market being good for sellers, and my loft to return to, I decided to sell the NH house, and figured things out if and when I was called back to campus. 

Nearly a year later, still waiting. 

But in the meantime, without the burdens of house care, I've been able to handle so many other things, and nearly at a relaxed pace. I miss very much the parts of the house and yard and ownership I loved, but am thankful for an advantageous exit from the aspects I found deeply stressful.