My favorite spot in our last home and in my childhood home is looking out the window, especially when it’s raining or snowing.
As we have moved from our house of 10 years to the carriage house we are renting, I’ve pondered these questions of ”What is home?” What I’ve come to realize is that for me, home revolves more around feeling than place.
I associate home with relaxation, being able to kick my shoes off, say what I’m thinking, and be myself. It’s a place I don’t need to pretend to be anyone but me.
Home feels warm and inviting. It’s a place to rest after a busy day. Home can be a gathering place, but it can also be a place to be alone. It is where I sleep, recharge, and find shelter.
Can I find home on this 6 month roadtrip where our home will change from month to month, and sometimes even from day to day? A few wise friends have suggested having certain things that don’t change like taking a morning walk each day, writing in a journal, an evening reading/prayer time as a family, and set times each week to check in with loved ones.
For those who have moved a lot or travel for work, how do you find ”Home on the road?”
In a little over one week we will be moving out of our house of 10 years. How can I sum up a decade of memories in a few short paragraphs?
Here’s a fuzzy photo from our move in day on September 1st, 10 years ago. Finding this house to rent was nothing short of miraculous We knew the moment we walked in the door that this was what we had been waiting for. It was after a summer of the kids and I living in Marshall with my parents while Mark worked to make enough money for us to move to St Paul. Fast forward 10 years and so much has changed.
We had a 4th child who is now 8. – Ivy!
We got to see our oldest two graduate from highschool at St Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists.
After several job changes, Mark re-branded his business as Mark Haugen DJs and is finding great success in officiating and DJing weddings and other events. I, Anna, have continued to teach piano lessons all these years. It is something I love and will probably never stop doing. We are fairly certain we will be coming back to the Twin Cities at the end of our trip, but it may not be to the same neighborhood, so we are saying goodbye as if we may not come back to West 7th.
Here are a few things I will miss
The Parks and Trails we have grown to know like the back of our hand West 7th Community Center, Adams, Palace, Edgecumbe, Mattocks, Wabun, Crosby Farms, Hidden Falls, and Victoria Park. I walk the neighborhood streets everyday and go on a longer nature walk at least 1-2 times a week.
School
We will miss the schools my kids have grown to love and the teachers that invest in them. We will miss the playdates, and parkdates, and birthday parties that come with staying in one place.
Neighbors, neighbors, neighbors!
We have gotten to know many neighbors through the years. I never knew a city could feel so much like a small town in how friendly everyone is. Art House (a renovated church that hosts concerts and plays and is the home to Humble Walk Church) is just down the street. Businesses like Tavial, Mojo monkey, Colossal Cafe, and Cadenza music are regular weekly stops.
We have hosted a few neighborhood bonfires which gave us a reputation as ”the bonfire people.” Halloween and National Night Out as well as the neighborhood square dance at Art House are anticipated gatherings.
Hard days
No, not everyday was smooth sailing. There was the year of the mice, the head lice, the traumatic dental visits for teeth extractions and root canals. There were seasons of anxiety and depression, online school and teaching during Covid, two surgeries, marriage challenges, questions over faith, politics, and wrestling with the changing times.
This was the burning of our couch which finally did get rid of our mice.
A lot can change in 10 years. My biggest change personally has been learning to love myself. I have always put my family and church family’s needs before my own. Because of this, I was living with a lot of bitterness. My need to please people began to come in the way of my ability to enjoy life. I was constantly worrying about whether I was DOING enough instead of asking myself who I wanted to BE. It has been a long and slow process of unlearning some beliefs that were hindering instead of helping me. I am now in a much more joyful place with boundaries set that help me ask myself some good “why” questions before saying yes to things. I know the world won’t fall apart if I step away for a few days or weeks. Speaking of stepping away, we are about to take a giant leap with this roadtrip around the U.S. We will be homeschooling and staying with a combination of family, friends, and airbnbs from November-May. Our travels will take us across the Southern coast from Georgia to Florida to Texas and then West to California. It is going to be a great season for our little family of 4, now that Elliot and Tabby are at colleges on the East Coast.
This quote from one of my favorite authors seems fitting for the start of our next season. It is scary to take a leap like this, but those who have done similar crazy things have all said things like “Its the best decision we have ever made” or ”you won’t regret it”
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Here are a few more of my favorite photos from our Juno Ave house in the form of a photo slideshow. Enjoy!
We moved to St Paul 8 years ago. I’ve been wanting to recount the story of how we ended up here. I need to be reminded of how God takes care of us.
Our first house in the Twin Cities was an upper duplex rental in South Minneapolis. It was home for 5 years. I slowly grew to love the city after living in a small town up until that point. My oldest announced as we drove onto the freeway into Minneapolis, “I was born to be a city girl!”
Driving on freeways was the biggest change. I found a job teaching piano lessons in St Paul and the short drive from Mpls to St Paul always left me with stiff shoulders and a sore back. I would clench the steering wheel and hold my breathe as I anticipated the dreaded lane changes. For a period of time, when we didn’t have a car and I learned to ride the metro transit, another experience that felt monumental at the time. The city began to feel like our new home. I loved meeting people with different cultures and beliefs than me. I loved trying foods from around the world, experiencing art through museums, theater, and the orchestra.
As we reached year 5 in Minneapolis, we began to run out of money. It was a confusing period in our marriage and job situation and it became clear that it was again time for a change . One thing I’ve realized is that I don’t usually gravitate toward change unless it is forced upon me. Hardships can be the catalyst for making necessary changes.
That whole decision to not renew our lease on the Minneapolis duplex is still a bit foggy to me. It was a very unsettling season that I never want to repeat. My three girls, ages 10, 8, and 1 and I, moved to Marshall, MN to live with my parents while Mark stayed in Minneapolis on a friend’s couch, working a new job in order to save enough money for us to rent a new place that fall.
That whole summer apart ended up being a blessing in disguise. Everyday, we would go on walks, to the pool, rummage sales, and Camden State Park. The extended time with my parents was just what my girls and I needed.
Our goal was to move to St Paul by September so that I could continue teaching piano and the kids could start school. August came and there was no housing in our price range. I spent my days feeling a rising sense of panic as I scoured the internet for affordable rentals for a family of 5.
Finally, near the end of August, I saw a 4 bedroom house for rent pop up on Craigslist. We looked at it and immediately felt a “Yes!” It was the only house I could find even close to what we were looking for. It felt like a miracle.
Looking back, I feel this house was hand-picked for us. The neighbors, the art house down the street, the theater experiences, the schools, and all the places that have become home.
First Easter in St Paul And we added Ivy to our family to make 6!
I know what uncertainty feels like. With Covid-19 looming over us, we don’t know what life will look like a month from now or 6 months from now. I’m glad I can look back on God’s faithfulness in our move to St Paul and all the little and big ways we have been taken care of since then. I have to keep believing the best. It’s the only way through.
