Living My Retirement Dream 25 Years Early: How Following My Heart Led Me to the Mountains
When people learn that I’m living my retirement dream 25 years ahead of schedule, by moving to the mountains of Idaho from the city of Baltimore, they typically have a strong reaction.
Many assume this was because I’m really lucky. And yes – I do believe I’m living under cosmic knowledge (luck). It’s mostly because I took an aligned action every year since the time I felt the zing in my body that told me I had to return to the mountains.
You see, this is a family legacy ranch that I have known since I was a little girl. And as a full-grown adult back in 2015, I would come out to the property solo for deep immersive retreats. It was the height of my work addiction and a time when insomnia, racing thoughts, and unworthiness riddled my body.
But when I was nestled in those mountains, my sleep was deep, my thoughts were grounded, and I felt so worthy of the abundance nature had to offer unconditionally.
And one day, while on one of these solo adventures, I was sunbathing and reading a book on the deck and was startled by the sound of voices. You see, we’re at the very top of a mountain with no neighbors in sight. And all the land around us is protected. So when you’re alone and hear voices, you perk up, FAST!
With a swift grab of my binoculars, I watched Chyenne* herd cattle across our mountainside and I felt lightning run through my body. It was like this massive energetic wave that said, “Pay attention! This matters! You’re meant to be a part of that. Follow this feeling!”⚡
(Chyenne*my soul sister and cowgirl mentor and me on a ride)
So I did. And I kept following it. And little by little. Step by step. After a decade of values-aligned actions. We’re now at the point of living our retirement dream every single day instead of the hope for one day.
My greatest wish for YOU is that you get to feel the energy, aliveness, and purpose that comes with following the energy of your heart’s desires. To not shut them up. Or talk yourself out of it. But rather to get curious, see what lights you up and do more of it!
Because the truth is, I have no idea what I’m doing.
Yes, my great-uncle was a cowboy. But I never absorbed his wisdom in any way that made me an expert. He was always working on the cabin, and I would roam the mountains trying to make friends with cows.
His spirit and wisdom are definitely still present. But one of my greatest regrets was not asking more questions and doing more ranch work together. He preferred being a hermit and was the only person in my family to leave the East Coast on his own for this kind of life.
So in a way, I feel like I’m honoring his journey by following his footsteps in my own boots.
When you have a retirement dream that literally seems to be 35 years away, it can be daunting. (aka my original retirement timeline when I first had that zing watching my Cowgirl in action.) But even decades away, I KNEW I wanted it. And I knew I would be miserable if I didn’t do something about it now. I just didn’t know what step one was.
So I activated my value of Curiosity and started to ask myself…
What’s one thing I could do this year, month, week, day that would get me closer to my quest to become a cowgirl?
What action might I take so that when I get there, I’ll have transferable skills?
Who might I learn from?
How might I nurture this part of me now?
And through that questioning and taking aligned action, these are the top 10 things I invested in over the last decade that have set me up for this possibility today…
🏇 Committing to regular riding lessons with a teacher who aligned with my values and was open to supporting my cowgirl dreams.
🪵Taking woodworking classes and learning how to build furniture. My great-uncle was a master craftsman, and I knew I wanted to carry on that rewarding legacy in his woodshop.
🖼️Putting up a massive mountainscape mural in our office so we can “see” our future vision from the city. It also became the background for all of our videos, training, and virtual speaking engagements. So we made our value of Unity with Nature front and center.
Built both mine and James’ desks from wood slabs that came from the ranch, so we would feel that physical energy while we work towards our retirement dreams.
🐝Becoming a Baltimore City Beekeeper – even after I was told that wasn’t possible in the city! I am proud to be taking 2 gallons of my honey and beekeeping know-how with me out west.
🐴Learning to tame wild mustangs through energy work, animal communication, and relationship-based training. Major cowgirl points for this one!
😇Becoming horse guardians to our two beautiful boys. This is by far the most expansive of all.
🌄 Building life-changing relationships with experts in mountain homesteading life. Many of whom are now chosen family.
🌿Learning how to use a grow tent and hydroponics to keep the homestead producing year-round. This was some of the most fun I had this past winter!
🎧 Listen, watch, and read countless podcasts, documentaries and books to educate and expand my ranch life knowledge and resources.
So here’s the deal, my friend. YOU have some version of this for you, too! And you don’t have to wait until everything is perfectly set up for you to start taking action towards your vision now.
And in times like these, it can be really easy to lose sight of your bigger vision. To feel like you’re cloaked in a soggy blanket of fear or uncertainty. And to all together give up on your heart’s desire because it just ‘doesn’t make sense right now.’
But let me tell ya, there’s a baby step in there that you absolutely can take action on. And the more of those baby steps you take, the sooner they feel like giant leaps.
Quiet down those fears, judgments and overwhelm. And start stepping into the future that was meant for you by doing one thing now that will serve you tomorrow.
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