On the Topic of: Accomplishments
You may or may not have been following along on my home renovation journey. It’s been a focal point in my life for a few years now and it has reached the point of accomplishing just about all of the goals on the list.
After lots and lots of back-and-forth with my dad (whose property it was the past 40+ years), I was able to convince him to pass down the house to me and let me take it on as my own. It had been abandoned for at least 14 years. Some of his reasonings were that ‘it’s a man’s house because 1. it’s blue and 2. it’s physically demanding.’ Yeah, that’s what I was dealing with. And yeah, it took years for him to “give me the chance” to take on such a big project. He didn’t believe I could do it for the longest time, even when I was knee deep in the process, I felt his doubts.
Originally, I was going to start the project in 2020. I had been looking into different loan options, interviewing contractors, the whole shebang. And, as we all know, Covid took a number on just about every industry and life across the globe. Lumber prices went up over 80%, which, though frustrating, makes sense since there was such a huge influx in DIY home projects, particularly during mass quarantining.
The pricing of materials was the main contributor, among other issues that arose, for making the decision to push it back a few years. It was hard and an incredible test of patience. I call it “test of patience phase 1” because the waiting-part was a separate demand of patience than the construction-part. Both challenging.
I say all of this because I’ve built this house up both in my head as well as in real life. A very large undertaking, indeed. And now that I’ve reached the point of completion (for now), I’m doing some major reflecting and experiencing these kind of pinch-me-moments. It’s all very surreal and feels like nothing I’ve ever felt before.
The feeling of accomplishing something that’s so layered, and as a single woman, is hard to put into words. It doesn’t feel like I took the last stride over the finish line, despite having the official housewarming party or having lived in the space for the last 5+ months. It’s more of a mixed bag of sensations: energized, exhausted, lost, proud, sad, happy.
To be honest, I didn’t know what to expect when it came to this point. The impact on my mind and my body has been surprising. And profound. While the dopamine-fueled highs and the cortisol-related relief fluctuate, the lessons I’ve gained about myself and life are there for good. As is the confidence I’ve developed from doing a project to this scale (and dealing with a lot of men lol).
Although my feelings have been running in a bunch of different directions, my pride has remained a grounded center to return to.
I’m proud of facing parts of myself that I needed to overcome (or actively work towards overcoming).
I’m proud of discovering new parts of myself that wouldn’t have surfaced had I not done something like this.
I’m proud of taking lessons learned, either the easy or the hard way, and filing them away to help me as I continue to grow.
I’m proud of surrounding myself with trustworthy, reliable, kind, talented people during the project.
I’m proud of participating in building my house, physically.
I’m proud of following my instincts and not letting my doubts or insecurities get in the way.
Now is the time to indulge in the fruits of my labor and soak in the love, protection, and beauty that my home has now provides me. CAN YOU BELIEVE!!!
