Howdy from North Carolina
My name is Mike and I am, hold on lemme count...35 years old. Yes yes, the years are starting to fly by so quick now that I have to rely on math instead of memory to figure out my age. I am a self described hermit, and all who know me agree with that assertion. I was born in California but grew up in southeastern Georgia. For the last 14 years I have been a resident of North Carolina in and around the Charlotte area. I have traveled all over the country, and once outside of it to Ireland on my honeymoon. In all my travels my favorite place is the Pacific Northwest.
The last time I was there was 2010. My wife and I stayed in a cabin we rented within a couple miles of Mt. Rainier. At the time my wife was pregnant with our only child. I still remember waking up in the morning and going outside with some hot coffee. The sun was peeking up over the mountains to the east, filtering through the tall pines, and that sound the wind makes as it blows through the trees, the smell of earth resin and a good cup of joe.
It reminded me of visiting my grandparents as a boy in Northern California. "Grandpa who lives in the trees" we used to call him. Later they bought 10 acres in Victor Montana and lived there in a log cabin. They have since passed away but the memories are still vivid and dear to me. Even more so when I am in a place like the Pacific Northwest.
Since that visit, my wife and I have been flirting with the idea of moving there. I could easily find a job in my line of work (Database Analyst) perhaps even a work from home one. We've got to get rid of our debt first though. I ran into this site 3 days ago and since have been getting more and more sure that I could build a BnP log home. When I was 15 I helped my dad build our house in Georgia. It was an education I should never forget. Looking forward to taking the class once I have secure employment and we have made a significant dent in our debt. (I was out of work for some months and had to live off of credit cards and bank loans.) Those plus some medical bills are the only things keeping us pinned down right now as we currently rent and do not have a mortgage. I'd like never to.
Anyway, I have dreams of my own land where I can do as I please without some HoA telling me what to do. Somewhere I can raise my son Jack up in a wholesome manner. Somewhere I can shoot my firearms without the cops flooding the house. Somewhere my wife can garden. Somewhere I can build a smithy and pound hot iron into useful and pleasing things. I am glad to have found this community and look forward to learning much in the future.