This porch was my special space for four years in Wisconsin. This shot was in the midmorning sun where I often did some writing. The duties of the day would find me busy shuffling children to events, but in the early evening I often had a little fire going and would either edit my writing or sit with any family members who cherished the summer evenings before they were gone. In the winter I had other favorite spaces that defined my life. There was a wood paneled library that I wrote two novels in. Fireplaces in the parlor or our master bedroom were also cozy places to call one’s own. There were meals in the dining room, game nights, and canning marathons in the kitchen, but I most relished the spaces I made for myself that defined me. These spaces had to be created.

The week after we bought the house the entire porch ceiling collapsed and we had to have the porch basically redone. The screened doors had to be remade and the gardens around it had to be dug up and replanted. It took a lot of work but having a goal to create something you envision is so rewarding that it’s worth it! Decide where you see yourself. What do you see yourself doing there? Planting a garden? Feeding chickens? Biking to work? A workshop or studio? A yard with trees? Or a yard without any leaves to rake or grass to cut? Almost everyone has some little fantasy about where they would like to live, realistically. You may not be able to afford the big fantasy yet, or ever, but you can take whatever you can afford and create a space that makes you happy.