It’s April 26, 2012. Just one day before our lives are destined to shift onto an entirely different trajectory.

Tomorrow, if all goes according to plan, we find out if our house is sold. For a lot of people that might be a big enough change to endure at any given time. When you think about it, selling a home really is stressful. After all, we’ve put a lot of ourselves into this place over the years. Renovating, decorating, accumulating, gardening, hosting, laughing, loving, living. And then one day, we decided it was time for a change. First we had to finish all those projects that have been on the “to do list” for years. And get rid of the clutter. Then we had to keep the house and yard immaculate and not leave the usual stuff lying about. Throw in a crazy spring windstorm or three that turned the lawn into a carpet of tree branches and pine cones. There’s the endless showings and weeks of doubt that quickly turn into months.

And then suddenly, out of the blue, two offers on the same day. And that’s when the real stress begins. Of course, it all happened just as we were heading out of town for a quick round trip to Calgary. Negotiating back and forth with the prospective buyers via cell phone, text and fax as we were driving through the Rockies.

Emotions running amuck. First up. Then down. Then right back up again. Doubts and questions creeping in about our sanity. Are we making the right decision? After all, we have made this place a really comfortable home. And we love it. It’s just that it’s way too big for us. When you think about it, what do two people and a cat need with five bedrooms? Plus it never goes anywhere. It’s always sitting in exactly the same place, day in, day out, year in, year out.

So, the decision was obvious. We needed to buy a boat. Not just any boat. I mean, we already have one sitting in the driveway ready to pop into the water for an afternoon of crabbing or prawning, diving or island hopping. But a real boat. Something that could take us anywhere. It was the perfect solution. We could downsize AND see the world. Which brings me right back to where I started. Tomorrow is also the day our new boat becomes ours. But that’s a whole other story.