Nothing…then EVERYTHING…

It’s been awhile since I’ve written. Sure, there have been some Facebook posts on Our Untangled Life’s page, but nothing too deep. Everytime I went to write I paused. Between when I wrote last and now, so much has happened.  Personally, but more importantly all across the globe. All hell broke loose in our country and the division is greater every day.  I didn’t feel I had any solutions to offer and certainly didn’t want to debate anyone. Also, not having internet played a big role!

I don’t want to get political, but it’s difficult not to have an opinion and say nothing at all when the stakes are so high.  How have we gotten this far off track? I personally feel that we have no good options to lead this nation. We have 2 people who are out of touch and everyone is just choosing sides versus uniting to solve problems. It’s not the left or right that are wrong.  It’s the greed and corruption that permeates through the entire system. Both sides fund the problems and the more they keep us fighting with one another, the more they win.

We have been going down this path for some time.  For me, removing myself from it has helped me deal. However, I know that sitting on the sidelines is not a solution. Being where it is peaceful definitely allows the mind to rest. I had to pull back from social media because all of the hatred was too much for my psyche. We should treat one another with respect even when our opinions differ. The fights about race have been heart breaking. The fact that people question whether there is racism in this country is perplexing. It absolutely exists and needs to be eradicated. I feel the most impactful thing I can do at this stage in my life is to raise my son to be respectful to everyone, especially if they look different from him. Additionally, I will exercise my right to vote and ensure I research the local candidates to make sure they align with this vision. Calling your elected officials and signing petitions is also extremely helpful. We have to make our voices heard!

With all this hateful energy around coupled with the taxing work of developing raw land, I’ve been so depleted. It’s as if everything we have tried to accomplish just stood still. I was getting super anxious because I didn’t want our family at a campground during the pandemic. I wanted us on this land, away from it all. I know we can’t hide from it, but just being away from all the noise has been so good for all of us. Mateo is thriving here.  We wake up and go outside almost immediately and are out there almost all day. He sings, helps me in the garden, runs around in his rain boots, and smiles so much!

It was literally as if nothing was going our way and then all of the sudden the flood gates opened and then it was everything all at once. In our insta-everything society it makes waiting for anything seem like forever. However, we know that He works it all together for our good and He certainly did. Every setback was worth it.  We are at home. We are at peace.

Let’s dive in to the details a bit because I’ve had many questions from you guys about the process. When you purchase raw land it typically has to be cleared, bush hogged, you have to have to get an address assigned, get a water source, have septic put in, and power and fiber optics laid if you want internet. We had intitally wanted to be off grid back when we started dreaming about this a few years back. With a little guy however, we wanted to make sure we had everything we needed from the start. We can always do solar down the line and sell back to the grid. We picked this location because it’s private, but also close to town. There are 8 grocery stores and everything one could need in town including the university. Lots of culture!

From the time we found the property to the time we parked the rig up here, it was almost 5 months. I think the pandemic kicked up the fear and made us want the process to go even faster, but because of COVID things dragged out.  We had built homes and bought ones already ready for us to move in, so perhaps we were naive about the permiting process. WOW is all I can say! Thankfully, we dealt with many nice people but the process was grueling. 

To get an address assigned, you have to have a driveway roughed in. We had an amazing gentleman do the clearing, grading, and then he also did our driveway.  They come out with a car that does everything like Google would. They park it in the center of the driveway and based on the latitude and longitude, that’s how they assign your house number. With that house number we thought we could get power, but nope…you have to go through the permitting process. You’re probably thinking, why didn’t they research more?? Trust me, we did! It’s just if you call 10 people, you get 10 different answers. So frustration builds!

One of the amazing things about this piece of heaven is that it’s raw land.  The bad part is the deed was so old that the tax mapping office couldn’t provide us a map. In order to submit your application to get a septic and well installed, you have to attach a legal map. All of the surveyors were backed up 6 months! That wasn’t going to work. So we stalked all the Google listings for surveyors and kept trying until we found someone and in the meantime our amazing neighbors provided us with their survey plat.  My husband found someone who could help us and it was definitely a God thing!! He was able to pull all the research from the surrounding properties surveys. Some done 50 years ago! With his help we finally were able to submit the application!

In the meantime, we came out here and setup a Clam tent so we would have a little shelter for lunch and such. We came every day from the campground in Banner Elk and worked the land. We would clear brush….that darn, prickly multiflora rose that’s so invasive! We raked for days and the great part is it was a super workout! We started the raised beds for the gardens, bush whacked, rinsed and repeated for weeks. Doing this with a toddler was super challenging, but we made it!  We had help from family with our shed and it looks great! That was all done in the nonstop rain back in May. The guys did it in under a tailgate tent. It rained for weeks…no joke! More delays!

The gentleman who did the driveway also did our septic system. He got that in and the health department approved it! Yay, so let’s start the well drilling! Days and days of drilling, then they tell us it was a dry hole. Then they tell us the next day it had water. It was all suspect. We abandoned the well at 1,000ft and went with our God given spring. Anyone who has a well knows that just to drill costs a pretty penny. We should have used the spring all along. I’ll be honest, I was skeptical but what a blessing!!!

Once we abandoned the well with the health department, we then got a permit, then with this permit, you have to fill out another application to get your occupancy permit. You need this for the power.  We had to have an electrician come out and setup everything and then the power company came and buried the line from the road all the way up the driveway.  Lots of dirt! The electricians were all booked up for several weeks so thankfully our amazing realtor hooked us up with a very talented gentleman who was able to help us.

Now, being able to resurrect a spring box that hasn’t been used in over 50 years is no easy task! I never knew what one was so I’ll share the details. There’s a spring head which is the water source. Then there’s a box that holds the water and then from there you send the water via pipes to wherever you need it. Thankfully, family was in town to help with this project! The gentleman who did our driveway and septic’s father was our angel and did all the digging for the pipes which required a 500ft trench.

Thankfully our family was able to help with this project because it was quite the task! The guys put the pipe down and it had to go beneath the power lines. The spring box had a crack so we got a 1,200 gallon tank that they installed. They set this up with a pump that sends it up the hill to a pressure tank, then to the RV. It rained for this project too, but that didn’t stop them! It truly was a mess, but they got it all figured out!

So finally it was time! Now, for hubby to back the 20,000lb RV up the hill to the pad!  He put that 4×4 F-350 dually diesel to the test! It was certainly interesting, but he did it and we are here!! It’s been like the calm after a storm.  It was literally just insanity for a month, but like everything…it passed. We are super grateful for all the help and for the learning process.  I wish that I could say I handled it all with grace, but I was a ball of stress.

Now we continue to sow grass seed to cover all the dirt from the digging, mow, and clear a bit more land. We have 6-7 cleared acres and the rest is a beautiful forest (14-15 acres). We plan to keep most of it, but will continue to thin it out here and there. We will make hiking trails so that it’s easier for us to access the 2 mountain ridges that are our southern and western borders.

I’ve included pictures below as well as songs that helped me get through it all. Music always seems to heal my soul. In times like these, we can all use a little pick me up. I hope you stay well, safe, and find joy! Thanks for following our journey!