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You are here: Home » Simple Living » Uprooted, Part 1: Conviction, Change, and Hopeful Progress

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Uprooted, Part 1: Conviction, Change, and Hopeful Progress

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Recently, we moved across the country, from the majestic mountains of Oregon to the green valleys of Tennessee. However, this road trip was a bit different, being that it was our third cross country move in less than two years. Our lives, ordinarily very calm and consistent, were being uprooted. | TraditionalCookingSchool.com

Recently, we moved across the country, from the majestic mountains of Oregon to the green valleys of Tennessee. While many families cringe at the idea of a road trip, desperately relying on television and every distraction possible in order to maintain the silence and mood on the road, we actually enjoy the solitude, somewhat frequent change of scenery, obvious differing practices of growing food and keeping animals, and generally relish our time and adventure together.

However, this road trip was a bit different, being that it was our third cross country move in less than two years. Our lives, ordinarily very calm and consistent, were being uprooted.

Uprooted: the state in which we felt like we had been living for some time, although our outward circumstances did not exemplify it. The majority of our lives had been spent in the heart of the city, in Phoenix, Arizona. We attended the same church for over ten years, had our first three children in the same home and my husband worked a wonderful job which, by the grace of God, offered increasing responsibility and advancement.

We often daydreamed of moving out of the city to the desert, caring for land and animals and growing our own food. Yes, in the desert, while raising our children in a environment where they could roam in nature and be uninhibited by the daily rush and fast pace of concrete laden city life. We longed to place them within the seasons of the desert, a place where they could rise to the sun on one side of the horizon, and wonder at warm colors filling the mountainous horizon in the evening, amongst the slowly appearing starlight.

This dream became a reality in the summer of 2010. My husband was offered a promotion and new position, which gave us the opportunity to move North of the city into the desert solitude. While we longed for acreage, the reality of affording much of it was another question. So, a few weeks after our third child, Ruth, was born, we packed up a U-Haul, said goodbye to our sweet home, and 6000 square foot city lot, and said hello to an amazing adobe abode on… an acre and a quarter. We were beyond thankful. I was in love with the kitchen: my double wall ovens, and palatial counter space. By the grace of God, we slowly settled in.

Recently, we moved across the country, from the majestic mountains of Oregon to the green valleys of Tennessee. However, this road trip was a bit different, being that it was our third cross country move in less than two years. Our lives, ordinarily very calm and consistent, were being uprooted. | TraditionalCookingSchool.com

As all things in life tend to have benefits and drawbacks, we quickly discovered what they were in our new life circumstances. Homeschooling, somewhat Charlotte Mason style, was incredible with abundant nature at our doorstep. We spent many days in discovery: picnicking in the shady courtyard while observing large desert ants carrying away our crumbs; finding a tarantula in our playhouse; watching the buds on the saguaro slowly emerge, peek out, and then miraculously blossom; observing the moods of the paint and mini horses across the wash, hearing the “whoo” of an owl and then finding his eyes gleaming into ours, smelling the creosote amidst the desert air on a wet day; to be honest, the list could go on and on — our days were blessed.

However, one important thing was missing: Dad. My husband found himself gone from 7:30 in the morning till after 5:30 most evenings. While this may be normal for many families, it was not normal for our family.

I would like to say that I bemoaned the reality of our situation, but I did not. Initially, that is. I thought this was the lot before our family. After all, it was the American lot of the hardworking, providing father to be at the office for many hours a day in order to provide a good home, company health insurance, retirement, and a steady income for his family. At a relatively early age, we had achieved the American dream. Now was our time to enjoy it. Or so we thought.

Outwardly, we were living in all of the comforts and luxuries of this dream. Inwardly, we were not. Many famous phrases began flooding my thoughts, particularly: “Be careful of what you wish for or you just might get it” or “the grass is always greener on the other side”. The repercussions of having dad gone for so long during the day meant me doing my part-time online work later into the evening. It meant less time for us as a family in the afternoons to water the garden together, go for a walk, or just enjoy the kids playing with the animals while we partook of adult conversation.

Our dream was slowly becoming one that we longed to wake up from.

Though my husband had little free time aside from work, he was committed to keeping a garden — and a wonderful one I might add. We lived in the desert, but still wanted to do our best to grow sustainably in such a dry climate. During my husband’s fall break (a perk of working under a school calendar) we planned a farm visit to pick pumpkins and corn, etc… Ironically, in the desert, the farm visit was rained out. By the providence of God, we found another farm to visit the next day, a small farm of a family who left the city in order to live a sustainable, slower life.

Recently, we moved across the country, from the majestic mountains of Oregon to the green valleys of Tennessee. However, this road trip was a bit different, being that it was our third cross country move in less than two years. Our lives, ordinarily very calm and consistent, were being uprooted. | TraditionalCookingSchool.com

We arrived, three kids in tow, the quintessential picture of city folk entering a world they dreamed of living. Our arrival was welcomed in the warmest possible way. Our children spent the day on that farm: milking goats, riding a horse, scooping manure to add to a garden, feeding animals, and exploring in the workings of a CSA garden. We ate fresh food, and for the first time, sipped on milk only minutes old. We left refreshed, tired, and silent.

While the kids napped on the way home, my husband and I sat inches apart, but said few words, muted by the realization of what we truly wanted for our family — a life not normal, not following the schedules of the standardized working world, but rather adhering to the clock of nature and togetherness. The reality of our situation, though, was stifling. We had a family and three children; yet we lacked the liquid means to pack up and start something from nothing, and something that we knew little about. How could we balance reality with our desires?

Well, we did not do a good job, at first. We fought. I fought the desire to avoid abandoning all the earthly comforts and extravagances that surrounded me, as I knew a change in the way of living would force me to give up, sad to say, my very nice kitchen and serene desert setting. My husband fought the desire to want to provide for his family with benefits, good insurance, and so on, in order to get his hands off of an office desk and into the dirt, providing for his family by the work of his own labor.

We fought the desire to be together, to raise and educate our children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. We fought the idea of what was “normal”, and all of the perils that would follow if we abandoned everything for which we worked so hard. Plain and simple, we fought ourselves, we fought each other, and we both cried out to our Lord, confused and uncertain.

All we had worked for had become a reality, or so we thought — but it was not the reality that we had hoped it would be and our convictions could not allow us to maintain this American dream.

Recently, we moved across the country, from the majestic mountains of Oregon to the green valleys of Tennessee. However, this road trip was a bit different, being that it was our third cross country move in less than two years. Our lives, ordinarily very calm and consistent, were being uprooted. | TraditionalCookingSchool.com

Have you achieved the American dream only to wake up from it? Have you been uprooted? Please share your experience below — and come back tomorrow for Part 2.

We only recommend products and services we wholeheartedly endorse. This post may contain special links through which we earn a small commission if you make a purchase (though your price is the same).

Posted in: Simple Living

About Tracey Vierra

Tracey has been eternally blessed with a Godly husband to share her days; five beautiful, healthy, witty children who never cease to amaze her; a comfortable place to live amidst the hills and valleys of middle Tennessee; all while being surrounded by neighbors who cluck, crow, moo, chirp, buzz, and allow them to enjoy God's creation. You'll find her reading or attempting to make some new concoction in the kitchen, usually with a baby on one hip and at least one other little one mixing, stirring, or tasting. Tracey and her family offer traditional prepared sourdough and gluten-free cereals at Hill and Hollow.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kimbrah says

    September 30, 2013 at 11:23 am

    I need part two right now! We are walking the same road right now and we are right where this post leaves the reader! 🙁

    Reply
    • Wardee Harmon says

      September 30, 2013 at 11:55 am

      Kimbrah — It’s coming tomorrow! We’d love to hear more about your journey. 🙂

      Reply
    • Tracey Vierra says

      September 30, 2013 at 7:00 pm

      Hello Kimbrah,

      Thanks for reading! I hope tomorrow does not disappoint! I would love to hear of your journey – knowing that others tread similar paths always serves as an encouragement. You will be in my prayers as this way of life, at many times, seems to be working against the grain instead of with it.

      God be with you!

      Reply
  2. Christie says

    September 30, 2013 at 12:24 pm

    We’ve been uprooted/ing for the past five years. We sold our very American-dreamy neighborhood home when we decided we wanted a different lifestyle. We bought property and have slowly been developing it, sacrificing and paying as we can. Our property went through a damaging wildfire last year that set us back with fences to rebuild and burned acreage to clean up. That was hard. The land was so pristine, and now it faces new rebirth. We are thankful we were spared as much as we were though. We have faith that God’s ways are not our ways.

    We haven’t been able to live at our property yet, so live a few hours away in our hometown, and as of this month, we will have moved four times in the past five years to different rental homes. The uprooting of my emotional attachment to a permanent home/pretty things/materialism is hard. Just when I think I’m over one part of it, another root pulls at my heart. It is a fight, just as you said.

    Reply
    • Tracey Vierra says

      September 30, 2013 at 7:06 pm

      Thank you for sharing your experiences – it is a fight indeed to do what is right and honoring before God with so many aspects of our lives- our marriage, family, finances, health, etc…. Just when I think we have mastered one aspect of our lives, I realize how much more we have left to learn and master- by the grace of God, we will continue pressing forward. I have recently read Pilgrims Progress, and continued reading Christiana- about the wife’s journey with her family- that has been an incredible comfort and encouragement to me!
      Your trials sound many, but your faith and resolve sound strong- may your family be blessed and not numbed in the process. You will also be in my prayers!
      Where is your land- is there a goal when you hope to build or settle on it?

      Reply
  3. Jenny Cutler says

    September 30, 2013 at 5:24 pm

    Part 2 is hard to wait for! 🙂 I can so relate and am in the waiting to dig up the roots and start over 🙂 So many friends of ours want bigger bigger bigger…houses, money, lives, etc…the cost is too steep and more than just financially. 🙂 I’m grateful my husband is at least home in the evenings but we want so much more than that, too 🙂

    Reply
    • Tracey Vierra says

      September 30, 2013 at 7:11 pm

      Jenny,
      Don’t give up and continue being knit together as husband and wife in the Lord, and praying!!! The Lord hears and he answers our prayers always, perfectly, in His timing. So often, my husband and I wondered why, why do we have these desires, why are they not going away, and why does it seem like we can’t do anything about it? I have stopped asking why now and realize that His ways are above my ways and as much as I think my timing is perfect, in hindsight, God worked more in and through us than I ever could have imagined, in His timing. I feel aged beyond my years with all of the moving we have done, but I would not trade all of the struggles, and hardships we have endured for all the things we have learned. May God’s perfect timing reign and bring you peace and direction in the meantime. Thank you for sharing with me!

      Reply
  4. Jenny Cazzola says

    September 30, 2013 at 6:25 pm

    We “started over” and uprooted last year but we only moved a short distance from the city where I was born ~ 40 miles, if that. Basically just from the city to the country. I didn’t expect things to be as different as they actually were/are. It has been wonderful, but quite the journey and we’re still getting the hang of things. We started our married life in a brand new home in a nice suburb, went from that to an older home (a definite fixer upper) and from that to our current pole barn. I think people look at us, scratch their heads and wonder why we’ve progressed downward. Each step though was in an effort to simplify our lives and create more time to spend together. I’m hoping this last move to where we are now is where we’ll stay. 🙂 Looking forward to hearing part2.

    Reply
    • Tracey Vierra says

      September 30, 2013 at 7:15 pm

      Hi Jenny,

      I am glad that you all have made a more sustainable simple life work, by the grace of God! Ironically, with the mindset of materialism, you have progressed down, but sounds like in the eyes of you and your husband, you have gained more than you ever imagined!

      I would love to hear the remodel of a pole barn into a home! Please share. : )))) And may the Lord bless your desires to root and stay where you are at.

      Reply
      • Jenny says

        October 1, 2013 at 6:05 am

        We started from scratch. There was nothing on our acreage but a pond. We were blessed to find a builder who constructed both metal sided pole barns and custom homes; so we had a 30×50′ barn built: red with a green roof and a cupola 😛 and the inside finished out as a home. It is very very simple but it meets our needs and we’re really happy with it.

        Reply
        • Nella Billeaud says

          October 5, 2013 at 9:02 am

          Good for you Jenny,
          My husband and I have been toying with this idea of selling and moving out into the country, building a metal barn structure and making it our home. We are empty nesters and getting up in age, but my desire to live the country life are stronger than ever…. It is what my heart longs for. My husband says “find us a place, put the house on the market, and we will move…” but for now we haven’t really put any plans into action… but my heart longs for simpler things, and that doesn’t always equate with easy, but that is ok with me….

          Reply
          • Jenny Cazzola says

            October 7, 2013 at 12:28 pm

            Nella, I think it is hard to make a change :/ We were very motivated because our neighborhood changed almost overnight and not in a good way. We really needed to move otherwise I’m not sure we would have done it. Moving is so stressful. We’ve been very happy with our “barn”. I was concerned about how it would look but it turned out nice (at least we think so) and has been very energy efficient.

  5. Courtney says

    September 30, 2013 at 7:46 pm

    Oh my goodness! Can’t wait to hear the rest!

    Reply

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