Happy Anniversary to Me

Today marks one year since I attached the trailer to my car and started south from Bloomington to/with my new home here in Texas-- can you believe it? So far, so good. The trailer is still standing, the schaackmobile hall of fame boasts a whopping 21 inductees (last night's visit from my friend Steve Freedberg and 16 of his students boosted the tent division number from 1 to 18, which helps), and I couldn't be happier about the minimalist lifestyle I have adopted since coming down this way. The feelings of independence, unclutteredness, simplicity, liberation, and outside-lovingness completely trump the occasional claustrophobia. The last 24 hours provided an excellent crucible for why this is a good idea-- a cold snap in Texas means I run the space heater a little higher in the trailer, a cold snap in Indiana meant the pipes burst and the garage flooded. The whole experiment has mainly left me wondering-- why didn't I do this sooner? And, will I ever stop?

Here is a recent picture of my homestead on a crisp winter morning-- isn't she a beaut?