After 29 years of marriage, my husband Sean shared with me his lifelong dream of self-sufficiency, farming, and a rural lifestyle. With our three children grown and starting their own families, we felt the timing was right to pursue this dream. So, despite still working full-time jobs, we decided to take the leap.

In September 2019, we finally found the perfect property—a 20-acre cornfield where we could build our dream home and start our small farm. The thrill of transforming that cornfield into our own unique haven was tangible.

Our goal wasn't just to create a self-sufficient life for ourselves but also to document our journey. We wanted to share our successes, as well as the inevitable missteps, with others who might be on a similar path. With three kids and eight grandchildren, we also saw this as an opportunity to leave a lasting legacy for our family.

It's funny how life works out sometimes. This rural lifestyle wasn't exactly what I had envisioned for my retirement—my dreams involved a beach somewhere far away. But as we've immersed ourselves in this new way of living, I've come to love it more than I ever thought possible. It's been a journey of personal growth and adaptation, but one that I wouldn't trade for anything.