Ralphie Rough Road

What’s the best place to start a new blog series?  An introduction of course!  Giving my readers an idea behind this series and hoping you will join along as it unfolds over the year.

This is something I have thought about tackling for awhile.  A few years ago I had planned to blog about it in real time, but life got in the way.  Honestly, I think this is better.  A look back at where we were and how we got to our current state.

This series will take you along as we journey from city dwellers, 9-5ers, living an unhealthy yet fun lifestyle to country living, self-employed, healthier lifestyle, and simple living.  The change took place over roughly a four to five year period, 2011-until present.

Join as each month, I will write about a different topic leading to our present day selves.

In the process, I hope to inspire and/or challenge those of you who may be thinking “it’s time for a change”.  What I present here is not a “how-to guide”, but merely the story of our transformation.  Each post will include challenges faced and how we overcame them.

A few before images:  Urban cycling, favorite pub, our house in town, food on hand during an ice storm, Olivia, me ready for football, my “orange blur”.

A comparative look at before & now:

Before:                                                                                    Now:

Worked at IU (Amy) Self-employed (Shane)   Both self-employed, work from home

Made more $$                                                    Make less money

Dined out most of the time                               Cook most of our meals at home

More expenses                                                   Less expense

Lived in 1200 square foot home                        Live in just under 700 square foot cabin

Lived on a 1/4 acre in town                               Live on 107 acres of forested property

Frequented our local pubs                                 Visit our local pubs much less frequently

Consumed more junk food                                Consume fresh, home-made food

My yoga practice was sporadic                         Daily yoga & meditation practice

Higher levels of stress                                       Lower levels of stress

Traveled some for work & personal                  Less travel

Urban cycling, mountain biking                       Hiking & 4-wheeling, little cycling

One household cat                                             2 cats & our first dog together

Football fanatic                                                  Not much interest these days

Heated our home with electricity                     Heat exclusively with wood

Watched some T.V.                                            Do not own a T.V

Despised winter                                                 Appreciate & enjoy winter

A few images from now:  Our cabin, 4-wheeler, wood stove, yoga mat, chopped vegetables for dinner, wine/book & hammock, Sir Purrs A Lot, Josie.

Have you undergone a transformation you would like to share?  Tell us your story (short version) in the comments.