A BIG Leap
About one year ago today, I decided to take the biggest leap in my life to date: I put my townhouse in Silicon Valley up for sale to fulfill my dream 75 miles north in Sonoma County.
I didn’t consciously know this was my dream, but a seed (!) was planted when I traveled to North Carolina in October of 2014 to help out some of my flower pals assist at a very special wedding. The wedding was on a flower farm and it was one of the most inspiring experiences of my life because of the gorgeous setting and amazing people I got to work with and learn from. (I’ll blog about that experience soon). http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/600629/north-carolina-rustic-farm-wedding-heather-payne-jaclyn-morgan
I attended a workshop (in North Carolina, oddly) in March of 2015, called Making Things Happen Intensive, and one of the exercises was a visualization of my life in 5 to 10 years. It was a guided visualization to picture myself, hear the sounds, smell the smells and imagine where I’d be.
What did it feel like? Look like? Who is with me? I clearly pictured myself in a charming house with a large outdoor space, a warm breeze, animals, flowers, family and friends, in my mind’s eye it was in Sonoma County. This image was clearly percolating in my brain because one day I simply woke up in my beloved Palo Alto home and thought – what am I waiting for? I can do this NOW.
It was hard to let go of the house in Palo Alto. I had bought it with my late husband, Kevin, and he had died there. We had so many great memories there (sad ones, too) but it just didn’t make sense to hang onto it for sentimental reasons any longer. I finally realized that my memories of Kevin are in my heart, not in that house.
There was something very compelling about a fresh start with my business in a new area, so I decided to go all the way and rename Three Sisters Flowers, which has become Marion Moss Floral Design. More on that here.
So, here I am in my cute yellow house on one acre in Petaluma with my two dogs, two chickens and two ducks. Growing flowers, creating my design studio onsite and loving my new life.
I looked at about a dozen houses and this one was perfect from the moment I saw it. I have over 100 rose bushes, 25 fruit trees and lots of gorgeous plants (Honeysuckle! Lilac! Peonies!). I have the most beautiful views of rolling hills with vineyards and dairy cows in the distance and I’m about 20 minutes to the beach and 45 minutes to San Francisco. I’m so grateful that my friends and family come to visit on a regular basis. I’ve tried hard to make my home a sanctuary for my loved ones so they want to come back again and again. My new best friend lives RIGHT next door and I even found my new love, Thomas. Life is MAGICAL, better than I thought possible.
It’s not easy to take the big leap, it can be scary but also exciting and challenging. I’ve had so many moments of joy since I moved into my house in October of last year. In the mornings, I walk outside with the dogs to feed the ducks and chickens, I watch the birds and the butterflies in my flower garden while the dogs wrestle and have to pinch myself.
What is your big leap? New career? Moving? I encourage you to take the first step, even if there is just a spark of a thought. Once you think about it, you may start to make a plan. Write it down, think about it, do it! Take the leap! JUMP
Thank you to Meg Sexton and Erin Benzakein for your photography on this page!