Seduced By Luxury

One of the funniest conversations we have is when people tip toe around asking us about the money. They’ll poke at it with a stick. It’s awkward (for them), because we have all been taught to stay out of other people’s financial situations. So, we’ll get questions like, “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but what do you guys do?” or just stammering, “Um, so….like….do you like….um….how do you…”. We have grown to like hearing people struggle with the question “How can you afford to travel?”. After telling one retiree in Ecuador about our South American trek, she exclaimed, “Well, you’re the first rich people I’ve ever met!”

It’s quite comical to hear something like that because it’s far from the truth. I mean, we are lucky that Dusty can work from anywhere since he is a computer geek. However, the real deal, or deal breakers, are the expenses. One would think that traveling around the world would be expensive, and it is if you are still paying for all of the “normal” stuff back home like phones, houses and cars. We made sure we didn’t have to worry about those things.

About five years ago we were on our way to buying the home of our dreams. It’s not your typical home, it’s a newly built loft in the Downtown Cincinnati. Three years after putting down a deposit, and waiting an eternity for it to be built, it was finally finished. By this time, we had gotten married and gone on a honeymoon to Costa Rica. All of those monkeys and palm trees got us and we had caught the travel bug. We were about to move into this “dream home” which came at a hefty price. The “dream home” was ruining our new dream of travel.

So, there was a decision to make, live in the home we had waited three long years for or travel. We tried selling it, but that didn’t work. We were stuck with it. We then decided to try to rent it and it worked! We were FREEEEEE and able to travel for 7 months in South America without having to pay a mortgage, too. Thanks to our renter for covering it!

Upon our return we learned that our renter was moving out. Since we were going to have to pay mortgage payments out of our own pocket now, we decided to move in, stage the place and put it up on the market. We thought we’d get rid of this ball and chain once and for all. After two days living there, we were sucked in and decided we couldn’t part with it just yet. Not only that, after living in shady hostels for a majority of the last year….we were thoroughly enjoying the “luxury” of this newer home. We LOVE the contemporary living in the downtown setting. We’re one block from Paul Brown Stadium where the Bengals “play”, a few blocks from the Cincinnati Reds stadium and in walking distance of shops, cafes, restaurants and bars. It’s so us.

So, now what? We still intend on traveling. We rent it again I guess. This time we’ll try renting it fully furnished. That way we don’t have to store our things somewhere. Perhaps when the snow is gone and the horridness that is Cincinnati winter subsides, we’ll move back in and enjoy it once again. I hope this works. If given a choice between traveling and this house, we’d dump the house no doubt. Maybe this scenario of renting while we’re gone and enjoying it while we’re back will work. Maybe it won’t. There’s one thing I do know about us, we have no problem getting rid of something when it no longer suits us. We’re ruthless when it comes to stuff and things.

Speaking of renting a furnished loft in Downtown Cincinnati from November to May, anyone interested? ;)