Recently, Mike and I took a trip back to the Midwest (yeah, I know I have yet to recap it…I’ll get to it) and stayed with my sister and BIL on their 7 acre (!) property on the outskirts of Cincinnati. We only stayed a few days, but Mike and I are completely enamored with their property. There were many “what would we do with this” conversations that included building a treehouse, a large enough garden to feed a family of four, fishing in their little pond, planting flowers, clearing out brush, and take advantage of their wild raspberries, blackberries, and the grapevines that they have growing.
Oh, and then there were the plans of where we’d put our solar field.
Yeah, you read right: part of our dream includes having our own solar field. While I’m fantasizing, I might as well throw some sheep in the picture too since I dream of making my own sheep’s milk cheese one day.
Needless to say, Mike and I have some pretty lofty ideas about our future, and most of those plans involve living sustainably, having plenty of land, and being as self-sufficient as possible. So, New Jersey…I’m sorry, but it doesn’t look like you’ve made us into lifelong residents. Taxes here are incredibly high, land comes at a ridiculous premium, and housing prices are through the roof.
So where will we find bigger bang for our buck where we can have land, among the other (many) things we want? We’re thinking that the Denver area might be where we decide to settle down after we’re finished with our international traveling/living, whenever that may be.
There is a large Lockheed Martin (where Mike works) location near Denver, and while Denver is very far from a lot of large cities & both coasts, we’ve heard nothing but wonderful things about the area. The residents seem to be on the path to progressive thinking, they’re into active, healthy lifestyles, houses & land are cheaper, and most of all…
The views are beautiful. The photo above is a house that’s currently on the market, and as you can see there’s plenty of property & quite stunning views. I don’t think I could get sick of that property. Ever. We’d be closer to National Parks, but still near to two large cities: Denver and Boulder. We could enjoy our land and views while still enjoying frequent excursions to the city. What’s not to love?
Plus, Denver gets on average 300 sunny days a year. Solar panels would be worth it here. Word’s still out on the sheep, but we’ll see 
One little snag?? We’ve never been to Denver. So, we’re operating on the assumption that it’s as awesome as our family and friends who have lived there say it is. Of course, I’m talking about further in the future, so we have plenty of time to continue dreaming & to go check it out once we’re ready to settle into a permanent home to raise a family. It’s fun to think of the possibilities in the mean time though, right?
Are you where you want to live permanently? What kind of home do you dream about? Have you been to Denver before? What did you think?
