A New Life in Just 76 Days

At the beginning of 2010, I made the decision to dramatically change my life. I wanted to re-prioritize how I spent my time and money, so that owning Xena would become a reality, not just a dream. I can make sweeping changes like this, because I don’t have a husband and kids to consider.

Keep it simple.
I’ve loved my house, but the garden I once enjoyed is now neglected because I’d rather be at the barn. And, while a long daily commute is the norm in Toronto, I no longer want to waste 3.75 hours going to and from work.

Own Xena.
Financially, I have to choose between the house and the horse. I can’t afford both on one salary.

Go away on vacation.
Last year I went to Austria and rode in the Alps for 10 days. That trip reminded me how much I’ve missed traveling. It’s now a priority.

I began by selling most of my furniture on kijiji.ca and donating about 50% of my belongings to a charity. Once the process of downsizing was set in motion, everything else seemed to come together quite quickly — I think there was also some luck involved!

In just 76 days, I changed my lifestyle, shortened my daily commute, booked a holiday, and became the owner of a horse I dearly love. It was a hectic few months, and some parts of my life temporarily fell by the wayside; Xena’s blog was among the fallen. But I found what I was looking for; a simplier life, and more time to enjoy my horse.