[arel]

Hi everyone. I haven't disappeared. I've just had internet trouble at home. That will end next week when I get a cable modem.

Anyway, unless something gets derailed in the process, it looks like I will be moving to Brattleboro in August or September.

All that research and thinking seems to have paid off. I finally got the nerve to take decisive action.

I am looking forward to the visual beauty and sense of community I hope to find in Brattleboro. It will be a big change from living in Brooklyn, NY, but I have done my homework and I think Brattleboro is a good fit for me.

If it doesn't work out, I can move elsewhere, even back to Brooklyn .

[GypsySoul22]

Great...you will find many New Yorkers here. I think you will also find many amused and wanting to know (as I am asked) why you picked to move to VT. I hope you sold your house. Good luck...keep us posted!!!

[tkln]

Yay Arel! Congrats...I'm guessing this mean you have sold or are in the process of selling...can't wait to read about your move and how it all progresses!

[Dwatted Wabbit]

Arel, this is great. I've been rooting for you and your cats, you have done quite the thorough process in this endeavor.
So kewl. Hope to be out there this year too.

[MRVphotog]

I think that you will make a fine Vermonter!

[nhrocky]

Congrats! I'll wave to you going down Putney Road, lol!

[quickdraw]

Great news Arel. Just don't forget that you will face some tough times, not because you will be in Vermont, but because we are all struggling a bit now no matter which state you're in. And don't high tail it back to NY when you hit a particularly hard time, work it out. I did, and now I love it here.

[CarolL]

Arel, I'm so excited for you. I've been following your "journey" for a few months now, not because I'm a stalker, but because I've also put Brattleboro on our list of possible retirement places, and I've greatly benefited from your posts. Please keep us informed of your new life. Best of luck to you. (Can't wait to start asking you questions.)

[brattpowered]

Well it's about time. Good luck with your move!

[arel]

I am excited and also stressed.

On top of everything, one of my cats, Rudy, had to be euthanized on June 12. His lungs kept filling up with fluid and he was having difficulty breathing. Although it has not been confirmed, the vet thinks the chronic inflammation in his lungs gave rise to cancer. And now another cat, Sammy, is sick. I had to take him to the vet's on the day of the home inspection. I kept him there until after the inspection, so that he would not be stressed by the strange people in the house.

The introspective journaling has not stopped. Sometimes I feel a regressive pull towards the familiar. So what I do is make a list of why I am moving and then the regressive pull goes away.

It's a big change. I am giving up the house that has always represented home for me. But as a friend of a friend once said: "when all is said and done, a house is just a building".

I am planning a trip to Brattleboro this weekend. The house may be about to go into contract by then, so it will be time to look seriously for a place to live. My sick cat will be boarded because of his diabetes, and his vet will be able to supervise him.

I have a friend in Brattleboro who owns a boarding house, and, as a last resort, I may rent a room there at first. That way, I can go house hunting locally instead of from 220 miles away. If no room is available, I can even sleep on her living room floor and temporarily board the cats. But I'd rather have my own place to go to. And I do not want to board the cats unless it is absolutely necessary.

I'm not sure if I want to get a house or a condo. A condo is cheaper and the external maintenance is done for you. In addition, there is an instant community. But a house is nice, too. I want something I can rent out if I decide not to stay. Or, as is often recommended, I could rent first and then move on from there.

Once I'm up there, I want to get rid of my old Nissan Sentra and buy a hybrid or a Subaru. I hope they come out with a hybrid Subaru soon, but I don't want to buy a model in its first year. I love the Honda Civic Hybrid, but the minute I drove it to New York it would probably be stolen. The Prius is nice, if I can hide the stuff in the storage compartment (it's a hatchback). Maybe I'll just buy better tires for my Nissan.

Thanks, everyone, for your interest and input. I appreciate every word of encouragement and advice.

I'll keep you posted.