We got up early this morning and headed out toward Hickory for a very special day.
Today we began a new chapter of life. Along with the Ballards’ RV Life we are also now beginning the adventure of the Ballards’ NC Life! We have jumped back into home ownership and all that it entails. Yes, we are still going to RV. No we aren’t quitting on our dream of traveling and exploring the U.S. and Canada. What we are doing is investing in a home base and sitting still for a while.
As promised, here is our big announcement…we are now officially North Carolina residents! Our new “home base” is Granite Falls, North Carolina.
For quite a while now we’ve felt like North Carolina is a place where we could see ourselves settling down.
There is so much to love about this state. The change of seasons, the mountains, the wildlife, the people – all worked their way into our hearts. We had established primary care and dental providers in North Carolina last year when we workamped at Moonshine Creek in Western North Carolina. We knew this was an area we would be returning to often. At the beginning of this year our goal was to buy a house in North Carolina sometime in the next five years.
Then this crazy 2020 year brought a lot of things into focus for us. Our need for a “home base” became very obvious as we experienced quarantines, RV breakdowns and cancelled travel plans. We needed a place to wait out the crazy and give Old Glory a rest in between adventures.
So much happened that influenced our time-line this summer. We had to cancel 1 long term reservation due to COVID restrictions and another planned trip due to a border closure. There were multiple major RV breakdowns and repairs throughout the summer. Our EMS surge protector system went out, our fireplace had to be replaced, the back up camera bit the dust, we had to replace an axel, brake caliper, leaf spring bolts, spare tire and spare tire holder and propane regulator. Old Glory was feeling more OLD and less Glorious by the minute. We began to think maybe God was trying to tell us something?
That 5 year goal for buying a home got a lot shorter. The interest rates were so low we decided it was time to go for it. The problem was locating the right house at the right time because all the good ones were moving fast. While in Marion, North Carolina, in September we looked at a lot of houses. Nothing felt exactly right. If I liked a house, Mark had reservations. If Mark liked a house, I wasn’t in complete agreement. Until we saw this one…
We saw it on the first day it was listed and we both fell in love with it. It is located on 1.3 acres and has obviously been loved and well cared for by the previous owner. There were multiple offers but the seller chose US!
The amount of land to park Old Glory is ideal and the surrounding woods and nearby creek give a sense of living right in the middle of God’s beautiful creation. Lord willing, we will eventually return to workamping a few months each year, but for now we are going to enjoy this new adventure. We will keep you up to date on the progress as we “make it ours.”
So there’s our news. Some of you already knew, some of you probably guessed. If you ever venture toward North Carolina, please stop by! Of course we don’t have any furniture because we sold it all to RV full-time but that will come eventually…
Awesome to hear you have a beautiful new nest! We will definitely make a visit next season sometime. So happy for you two!
Hey, It’s Bob and Bonnie From Moonshine Creek. Congrats on the new home. It looks fabulous and we have friends that live in Boone and have spent a lot of time up that way. It is a great area.
We too have been going through some changes. We gave up our spot on site 41 @ Moonshine creek. I came back to Florida and borrowed a truck and brought the RV back to Florida. I am delivering it to it’s new owner in Lake Wales Florida on Monday.
We will continue to pray for you guys and look forward to seeing your future updates. I guess that your Alaska trip is on hold for a while.
Have a wonderful Christmas season.
Hey, it’s Bob and Bonnie from site 41 @ Moonshine Creek.
We are so excited and pleased to see the pics of your new home. We have friends that live in that area and it is a beautiful area.
We have made some changes too. We gave up our site @ Moonshine Creek and I came back to Florida, borrowed a truck and pulled our RV back here.
I am delivering it to the new owners in Lake Wales on Monday.
We continue to pray for you and your family and look forward to seeing your future blogs.
Have a blessed Christmas and a Happy new year.
Hi Bob and Bonnie! Seems like a lot is changing for many of our friends. 2020 has taught us to be more flexible that’s for sure. Hope 2021 brings many great blessings your way. God is good all the time and we are glad he let our paths cross the past couple of years.