The Courage to make Changes

A lot of stuff happened in the last 3-4 weeks. Not small stuff and not good stuff. We were propelled out of our comfy little zone and left scrambling for steady ground.
I do not want to bore you with the details, but in short: Riaan was forced to close his business after his main supplier (one which he serviced for 4 years) send him a fax on a Saturday afternoon to inform him that they will no longer be needing his services. They gave him 5 days notice...

We bought a little house in the country about 2 years ago which we are renovating and use over weekends to get away from the City. It is about 1 and a half hours drive out of Cape Town. We are currently living in my MIL house, but she put in on the market to be sold. All of this now left us with no income for Riaan and no house should this one get sold, and by effect no way to pay full rent for a house in Cape Town and pay off a bond on our home in the country.

We have been toying with the idea to open a little health shop in the country and have been plotting with the locals, but it all seemed but a dream. It seemed too big a dream because how on earth can we move out of the City, leave our decent salaries behind and afford to open a shop that will not be able to support us until we've established a decent market. I believe that if you put enough energy and thought into something you create an awareness about it and your life path takes you in that direction, because that is what your heart desires. So after about a year and a half of dreaming about this idea I think that the universe gave us a huge boot under our bums and said: "ENOUGH!! Get going and open your little shop and be happy in the beautiful, serene country already!!"

So yesterday I gathered up ALL of my courage. I am actually extremely shy and introverted, so for me to ask for any aid or assistance takes a lot out of me. I will rather struggle on my own. But I took some very long and deep breaths and told my boss that I would like to speak to her in private. Then I gave her an overview on our situation and asked her whether she will consider that I work from our home in the country. I manage the rental accounts and payments for an estate agency and 99% of my work is done online, so this is the perfect job to be able to do remotely.

We had a very positive discussion and she seams to be ok with the idea - rather than to have to replace me and trust a stranger with the responsibility. So over the next few days we will try to smooth out all the possible pitfalls and the finer details. But it seems like we will be able to start 2013 by opening a brand new chapter in our lives.

We will get to live in the country (which has always been our hearts' desire). I will get to keep my job (which I absolutely love) and Riaan will get to live his dream by having a little health shop. And of coarse, once our little bambino arrives we will be able to raise our family  - not in the craziness of a big City - but out in the country in a beautiful little town where the neighbours still know your name, your yard is 1000sqm of open space and it is safe to walk in the streets.