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There’s no place like home

April 3, 2018   ·   0 Comments

By Jasen Obermeyer

In one of my recent columns, I discussed the issues I have with change, and mentioned that I am moving.

A house is just four brick walls, with some rooms and furniture in it. But a home is where you live, your safe place from the world, your special place. It’s where memories are made, and various stages of your life are experienced.

My place is – soon will be was – more than just a home, it was everything to me. But I should give you a bit of background to it.

I’ve lived there my whole life, almost 23 years, a lot of time to create wonderful memories and experiences.

I live out in the country, on 34 breathtaking acres. We have trees fields, forests both big and small, and crop fields where a farmer plants beans and corn. I don’t even need to close my eyes, I can see every part of my property, every detail like it’s right in front of me. The memories and times I made and shared with others are endless and unforgettable.

But it was not to last.

During the summer of 2014, we redid our kitchen and family area, and little did I realize my parents were doing it in the hopes of selling the place in the near future. The following year we had some realtors come by and give us quotes, and point out what needed to be spruced up, modernized, to make the place appealing. And that’s what we did, all year we worked on projects in and around the house, but I denied it, believing doing that means the move won’t happen. It seemed to work.

We put the house up for sale in 2016, but those who made offers were either not enough, or unwilling to negotiate a moving day. Around that time we had to deal with a family emergency that was long-term, so we took the house off the market. A little more time was bought, but not for long.

Last year, during the May long weekend, we were getting ready to put it back out on the market and hopefully find a catch. We caught a big one.

Our neighbour across the road told a friend of his about our place, and came by. Two days later, an offer was made, and the following weekend, the papers were signed. 

I still can’t fully describe how I’ve felt since then, at times it was like a dream, because nothing was being done. But come the summer time, my parents decided the best thing for them to do was to build, which I was excited for, until I found out where.

When my parents had bought the place back in 1990, they severed 22 acres of the original 56 to a family member of ours, but he never did anything with it.

Yes, if you’ve guessed right, we’re building and living right beside our old place!

That is the biggest problem I’ve had to deal with. I don’t know anyone who moved to live beside his or her old home. Every single person I’ve talked to have said, “I couldn’t live beside my old place,” “that sucks,” and “that’s going to be difficult.”

They are correct. I never thought in my whole life that when I’d move, it wouldn’t be far, just several hundred feet from my place. Looking out a certain window I can see the new place being out up. From my soon to be new bedroom I can see a bit of my soon to be old home.

I actually know the new homeowners, and though they are friendly, I wonder what changes they will make. Will they treat the place kindly and with the same care we did? I’ll always have that worry of being invited over, and seeing what they’ve done to the place.

Even though I’m moving on, it doesn’t feel like that entirely. Everyday I’ll see my old home, but know that I can’t go over there, prevented, like I’m trapped in a clear glass box.

The build has been interesting, tedious, and fun at times. Everyday I go over and see something new done, from when we first dug ground to when we’ll cut the ribbon to the front door. The builders have been great, are friendly and knowledgeable.

We were fortunate to have so much time to move, to prepare, and say goodbye, which I definitely did.

Whenever something was the last, like my birthday, or summer, I said goodbye or “this is the last time in this place.” When I jumped in my pool and swam my last lap, I said goodbye to something that cooled me down on a warm day. 

After over 2,000 photos inside and outside, through different angles, time of day and all the seasons, I think I have enough to remember.

I’ve come to accept the move, and most importantly, realize that the things I experienced in my old home aren’t ending. Christmas, birthdays, get-togethers, all will still be the same. It’s not where you live that you make memoires that’s important; it’s the people you share them with.

End of April is when I’ll have to move out. It has been a roller coaster ride to say the least, but one is for sure; there’s truly no place like home, and it doesn’t matter where, it’s the people that do.

We’ll turn those brand four new walls and rooms into something special.

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