My name is Jenn Charron. My husband, Bill, and I moved from our small town in Vermont to the metro Atlanta area in July 2018 when the company I work for presented an opportunity for me to relocate to our corporate office.
Who moves to Georgia in July? Crazy people 😉 In my defense… My original thought was, if I move down in the hottest month of the year, it will only get cooler. While I suppose that’s technically true, here’s a fun fact: Georgia is always hot, there are just some days that are less hot than others lol
Despite the heat, Bill and I fell in love with Georgia and became first-time home owners in April 2019. If I had to name something I don’t love, it would undoubtedly be the Atlanta traffic, so I opted for a longer commute and we bought a home about an hour outside the city. It’s really the best of both worlds: We have just over 3 acres of quiet calm, away from the hustle and bustle, but we’re within an hour’s drive of unlimited options for entertainment and recreation.
Bill is a longtime Coach (of football, baseball and wrestling, to name a few) and we’ve been lucky enough to attend games for the Gwinnett Stripers, Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta Hawks.
For me, nothing is more fun than enjoying a night of live music! We’ve attended so many concerts, I think I’ve lost count! I’m a huge fan of all types of music, from country to pop to rap. It sounds corny to say, but music has always spoken to my soul, and it was a big factor when weighing the pros/cons of having such a long commute. There is no better way to decompress after a long stressful day than to crank up the music and sing at the top of my lungs! I strongly believe that, even though I can’t sing, it doesn’t mean I shouldn’t sing.
We’re also big animal lovers so we enjoy anything that involves animals. Quite possibly the coolest picture I’ve ever taken was a selfie with a baby giraffe! We love the drive-thru zoo, where the animals come right up to your car, and it’s always a favorite activity when our family comes to visit. Our niece and nephews love getting to experience so many different animals up-close!
We don’t have any kids (yet!) but we have a dog named Tony, a cat named Ginger and 10 chickens. Here’s another fun fact: When we lived in Vermont, we visited a rescue organization in New York, who had just picked up this litter of puppies (including Tony and his siblings) from a kill-shelter in Georgia. So when we moved to Georgia a few years later, it was like Tony was coming home.
It was actually the chickens (and the surplus of eggs they provided) that got me serious about the idea of homesteading. I’ve always been drawn to the idea of a simpler life of self-sufficiency, but was detoured by the amount of time it would take to be successful. Historically, my time has been consumed with long hours at work followed by even more hours on the road.
I’ve used the same excuse – lack of time – every time I’ve failed to make my health a priority. I’ll do good for a while, and then inevitably fall off the wagon, claiming “I’ll do better tomorrow when I have more time.” Except tomorrow never comes and I find myself back on the struggle bus with my weight.
While this pandemic has had many negative impacts, one positive thing is I’ve gained time. I’m working from home, which has given me about 3 hours every day that I’m not commuting. I’m determined not to waste this extra time by putting it to good use and finally making a serious effort to reclaim my health, set my family up to be more self-sufficient and find more joy in life.
I decided to publicly document my adventures in health and homesteading, not only as a form of accountability, but also to provide value to others who have similar goals. If you’re on your own adventure, I’d love to hear from you!
