A year – wow! A year as a “Resort Owner” in Eureka Springs, AR
Things I’ve learned:
- Everything costs 20% more than budgeted and/or takes at least 3 times longer than projected.
- The cable TV and internet end at the city limits. The fastest alternative internet service is cellular or satellite – it’s SLOOOWWW, expensive and fails altogether when there are too many clouds in the southern sky.
- Snowbound is not an abstract concept – neither is “cabin fever”.
- “The Season” does NOT always start on March 1st – especially when there is still snow on the ground. Sometimes it doesn’t start till Memorial Day.
- Going to the 24 hour WalMart in Berryville really is something to get excited about – especially after being snowed in for a month.
- Cell service is spotty at best – note: cell signals do not go thru mountains.
- There is no good Asian food for 50 miles, no pizza delivery and McDonalds closes at 8PM 5 nights a week.
- People just drop by – with no notice – usually when you’re filthy, sweaty and up to your elbows in something really gross.
- “Eureka Time” is real, and it truly doesn’t correspond to any time zone or calendar outside of Eureka Springs.
- You do not need dressy clothes, but costumes can come in handy.
- Every town would be a happier place if they had a parade once a month.
- You are never, ever “finished”.
I won’t lie and say it has been an easy year – doing this has strained – almost to the breaking point – just about every relationship that I care about. It has also cleaned out a lifetime of savings from prudent living. Going from never worrying about money to worrying about it daily is hard. Having no insurance, no savings, no dinners out, no luxuries is also hard. Figuring out what bills you can pay and which ones wait makes me strangely happy that I spent years living on the cheap and in some small spaces – funny how that kind of life experience can prove very useful long after you think you’ve “made it”.
And yes, moving from a “McMansion” in Dallas with 3500 sq ft, 4 bedrooms. 3-1/2 baths, 3 living areas, 2 fireplaces and a swimming pool to a tiny 2 room cabin in rural Arkansas was a major adjustment – I have now lived a year with no “normal” shower, no dishwasher and no closets. I have lived a year without Wendy’s, a Dry Cleaners or a Dentist. I have had my hair done exactly twice since we arrived here. I need new glasses, but I also needed new towels and sheets – guess what I bought? My linen closet is a stack of milk crates and the bathroom has a whopping 12″ of counter space and a jacuzzi tub that would comfortably seat 5 – when what I need is space for the litter box. My current kitchen has 1 cabinet 4 drawers and a whopping 30″ of counter space – mostly taken up by a microwave and a coffee maker but my new event center kitchen has everything including a washer/dryer, dishwasher and garbage disposal – and I am blissfully happy to finally see it nearing completion. My car hasn’t been washed in a year but I am now the proud owner of a Bobcat Tractor and a Hustler Lawnmower. They get parked indoors – my car doesn’t. I used to have housekeepers, now I am a housekeeper. I am delighted that we have the event center basement and a large, nice metal shop building because – despite my best efforts (and 2 garage sales) – there is still have way too much “stuff” – but it’s getting there – downsizing has it’s positive side – you realize how much un-necessary crap fits into 3500 Sq Ft – and honestly nobody needs that much stuff – nobody.
And when I grieve over all the things I have given up (and I do grieve), mourn the losses and the sacrifices and scrape the last pennies out of the change jar and get angry and frustrated I walk outside. We have fireflies, butterflies, and hummingbirds by the thousands – and stars so bright you feel like you could reach out and grab one. Our house may have shrunk but our world has grown so large. We went from a 75×75 lot to 138 acres, 2 creeks, 2 huge spring fed ponds, at least 6 springs, and views that go for miles. Our driveway is a half mile long and our property stretches over a mile from end to end. The noise here consists of frogs, birds and the occasional bear or bobcat and a traffic jam is when the deer stand in the road. The nights are cool – the days usually sunny and not too hot. The water is sweet and cold. The guests are happy – and relaxed and envious of the magical place we call home that they only get to visit for a few brief days.
This place does have magic in it – every time I doubt it, something happens to make me see it all over again. The fates conspire to keep us here. When I doubt myself, someone comes along and builds me up. When I want to give up, there’s a hand to pull me up – and sometimes shove me along. Every time. And despite the hard reality and the struggle I want to be here. Dallas seems like another lifetime – a hot, noisy, concrete covered, boring and uninspired lifetime. Been there, had it, done it, bought the Corvette, shopped at Niemans, and ya know – I wouldn’t go back if I could. It was an easy life, but it was pretty empty too. I was 50 and I just couldn’t see spending another 17 years wishing for something different while sitting inside my big ol house. This life may not be easy but it sure isn’t boring and I can look out and see a dream coming to life – one day at a time.
How quickly it has passed – a year – in this life – and despite the learning curve and some very difficult days (and weeks) I am more alive than I have been for years. I’m living this life with all of me – and what more can there be than that? Living my dream – even a somewhat “modified” dream, is still what other people spend a lifetime yearning for – and I am doing it. Not talking about it, not waiting – LIVING IT while I still can. I’ll rest when I get too old and feeble to get outta my chair – til then it’s full speed ahead into the second year in the life – of a resort owner in Eureka Springs!
