Embrace the Dream: Our Journey from City Life to Homesteading in the Idaho Mountains

In 1 week, I’ll return to my natural habitat as a wild woman in the mountains of Idaho. ?

James and I have been Baltimore city dwellers for the majority of our lives. And we’ve since learned that the environment here was actually working against our values and has kept us from being fully in our power.

Unity with Nature is our highest and greatest alignment. ⛰️

Fun fact: of the 2,807 people who have taken our Core Values Quiz, 50% rank “Unity with Nature” as a Core or Aspirational Value.

So, in a week, we’ll be living full-time on our family’s 100-acre ranch, nestled in the Bitterroot Mountains of Idaho, in our 200-square-foot tiny home for 7 glorious months. The longest we’ve ever gone before is 6 weeks.? Fully surrounded and embraced by Mother Nature.

You see, this has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl visiting my great-uncle, a cowboy woodworker making his own life out west. Being a Washington, D.C. city kiddo, it was like going through a portal into a completely different world that greeted me with wonder.

Something inside me always knew I was going to follow in my uncle’s footsteps on my own quest to become a homesteading cowgirl. I just didn’t realize how deeply that calling was until the pandemic hit.

During that time, I wasn’t able to go visit my off-grid retreat space that my uncle had hand-crafted with such artistry and skill. My soul was screaming that it was not okay.

So we took action.

A year later, at 37, with the blessing of my family, we went all-in and bought a tiny home so we’d have our own place to nest on and build a life in this legacy land.

30 years ahead of schedule.?

This had been our retirement dream for over a decade. And if it weren’t for the pandemic, it would likely still be a place my soul yearns to be that would only get to experience 2 weeks twice a year, if I was lucky.

Thank goodness for the clarity and action that you can choose to take when you allow the values in your heart to lead and harness your mind to follow.

It’s abundantly clear that our health, well-being, energy, aliveness, and sense of purpose are at their peak when we’re in the mountains building our future now.

(Can you spy our tiny home nestled in the valley?)

The truth is, we’ve loved our city life experience. We’ve just evolved in our own journey. And simultaneously have an appreciation for what each has to offer.

Check it out…

? Rowhome in the City Life vs.? Tiny Home on the Ranch Life

 

There was a time when I never thought I’d want to leave the city. It was a huge part of my identity and made me feel energized.

Today, I get to appreciate what they both have to offer while stepping into my heart’s desires.

So this is a MASSIVE SHIFT into abundance, possibility, and pure alignment, where I know our souls belong.

This is our destiny. ?

?Wanna follow the journey from city slicker to mountain woman? We’ll be sharing more of it on our Instagram (@marybethandjames) and YouTube (@sparkvisionnow) pages.

The countdown is on. And I’m ready to fully step into my power.?

Are you ready too?

Here are three ways we can help you make your retirement dreams a reality – way ahead of schedule.

? Knowing and Living Your Values: During my 10-day course, you’ll identify your unique values, see where you’re currently activating them, and make small tweaks where you’re not so that every day is filled with purpose. Join 7,500+ Students Here.

? Alignment Coaching: Want to start being your most authentic self? Work with me 1×1 to align with your core values and ignite more well-being without compromising your impact. Fill out this inquiry form to see if we’re a good fit for one another.

?Hire MaryBeth as a Speaker: Have an all-staff event, annual meeting or conference coming up? I will inspire your audience to give themselves and others, permission to be human, unleashing higher productivity, profit, and purpose through shared values. Learn more here.