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by Hope

Tomorrow, I sign the closing documents and hand over the keys. This 8 year chapter of my life here in tiny town Georgia is coming to an end. This week has been full of emotions.

We will spend the next week together in Atlanta. All the kids will be here. And some of my Texas family too. We are celebrating. Princess graduates from college. Princess turns 21. Mother’s Day. And probably our last family adventure here. Well, outside of Beauty’s wedding next fall.

I got to thinking…years ago, I decided that if I did decided to move, I would not leave the state until Princess graduated. And here its, the house is sold as of this week and I’m leaving the state the week she graduates. Isn’t it funny how something we think about, pray for, just kind of works out? Not that it’s been without doubts and effort.

And I never even got to use the professional pictures that I have paid for.

I am proud of buying my first home, all the updates we did together as a family, and the stability this home gave us. Selling it was a tough decision. But I am confident it is the right one for me.

What about the money?

Before you ask, I am not certain when the proceeds from the house will hit my bank account. I will know how much as of tomorrow. The funds will be wired since I will be influx for several weeks after closing. I’ve already scheduled all the debt payments for mid-month. And I opened my high yield savings account so it’s ready to receive my EF and savings transfers.

I won’t be touching house money for the trip to Texas, it’s already been planned for, out of May’s income. I know I will be receiving enough to cover the CCs, painter, and my dad. Once I get settled in Texas, I will address the rest. I just need to not think about it for a while.

What’s Next

This month is going to be a bit of everywhere. I’ll be here in Georgia through the middle of the month. We are attending Princess college graduation and have invited extended family and close friends to meet us for lunch afterwards. No big party, and I’ve been clear that everyone will have to cover their own meal. I am buying a cake at a local grocery store. I’m not sure what we will do for Mother’s Day and Princess’ birthday, there will just be four of us in town then. I’m voting to eat Jimmy John’s, my favorite subs. (And I have a $15 gift card from Christmas.)

When the boys leave, I’ll head to Texas where I plan to spend a long weekend in my old hometown reconnecting with old friends and networking for possible jobs. (Staying with a friend so no hotel costs but most likely so meals out-at least a couple.)

And finally, I will land in the Austin area at my parents. And my next chapter begins.

Hope

Hope is a resourceful, solutions-driven online business manager with over two decades of experience helping clients streamline operations, manage projects, and grow their businesses through digital marketing and technology.

But life has a way of rewriting your plans.

A year ago, Hope made the decision to move in with her aging parents full time – a season she wouldn’t trade, even as it came with its own financial and emotional weight. Earlier this year, she lost her mother, and is now walking the tender, disorienting path of grief while learning what “forward” looks like from here.

Hope came to the Blogging Away Debt community in 2015 as a single mom raising five foster and adoptive children. She’s written through job changes, financial setbacks, and the bittersweet transition to an empty nest. Her kids are finding their footing in the world now – and so is she.

Rooted in faith and fueled by the same perseverance she’s brought to every hard season, Hope is ready to face her finances with fresh eyes and an honest pen. She believes that clarity, courage, and community can change the trajectory of anyone’s story including her own.

She lives in Austin, TX with her dad, loves adventures with her dog Addie, and is figuring out, one step at a time, what this next chapter is meant to be.