It all starts with the compost

This isn't really about gardening, though I'm sure that will come in somewhere. It's about our family, and the start of an adventure, and a latent desire to set down roots. To provide our children with some of the freedom we had as kids and to instill in them a love of this earth. It's about a trip some 2400 miles along Route 40, from Pasadena CA to Asheville NC.

And it all starts with the compost.

My husband and I are Iowa-raised. New York City lured us straight from college. A bit of my heart will always be there. A desire for adventure and job opportunities brought us to Southern California. A dozen years, some wonderful friends, a house, a dog and two great kids. But somehow - Pasadena has always felt transitional - a stop along the way. A few years ago, we started thinking about where we would go if we could go anywhere. In the age of google, it's easy to dream. Input the things we need -- good schools, a moderate climate, access to an airport - and the things we want -- culture, mountains, outdoor recreation, good restaurants. Templeton, California was tempting. Ashland Oregon was lovely. But not quite right.

But back to the compost. We were still in Pasadena, and we needed to get our hands dirty. We needed to grow stuff. And we needed compost. It's amazing how much stuff can go in a simple compost bin! We have the happiest worms in Pasadena.

But composting is good for more than the garden. It gets you dreaming of more space, a simpler life, a better balance. It got me searching for green homes (of course there's a website for that). And that led to Asheville. A lovely small city in Western North Carolina, in the mountains, with good schools, a local airport, great outdoor recreation, and a rich history of art and culture. And a thriving green building, sustainable living culture.

Since this is all past - I'll make it quick. We found almost 12 acres of land in Arden, just south of Asheville. We close on it in a week. We're under contract to sell our house and plan to leave mid-June. We found a builder and we're working on plans for our green dream home. My parents may join us - but that's for another post. It's all just falling into place.

So now I have to figure out what to do with all that compost.