At the outset we bought Rosslyn envisioning a 1-4 year timeline. Resuscitate the house and outbuildings while rebooting our lives, and then move on. Ready or not, on we’d go. Tidy. Viable. Or so we thought.
But our timeline stretched and our ambitions mushroomed. We became romantically involved and our perspective shifted, fish-eyed, and grew blurry.
Years ago we conjured a metric for evaluating when we might be ready to offer our home to a new homeowner. Time to revisit…
(Source: ChatGPT & “Dear John” Letter Writing)
The digital watercolor above is adapted from a photograph made in the late summer / early fall of 2006 or possibly 2007. Either way it captures the glow of our early days. Dreamy. Hopeful. Less than 100% reality based. Beyond aspirational…
As the years slipped past and our Rosslyn connection became more interwoven, we agreed upon a way to evaluate our readiness for untethering and moving on. A litmus test of sorts. Were we ready to sell Rosslyn? Arriving in Essex by ferry from Charlotte, Vermont, observing Rosslyn’s boathouse and waterfront, witnessing a family swimming and water sporting, enjoying our property as we do, are we thrilled? Or envious and regretful?
If we could imagine feeling joy for Rosslyn’s new family, then we knew it would be time. Ready or not, our emotions would tell us when it was the right time to hand this historic home on to a new family.
Are we there?
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