So the journey continues for us as we prepare for our move from one historic township to another. We have thoroughly enjoyed our time here in Lexington but after a couple of years in its relatively remote location we are looking forward to life in a somewhat larger locale with easier access to amenities. Enter the historic town of Winchester, the oldest one west of the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia.
It was founded in 1744 and boasts a downtown pedestrian mall called Old Town, which we will be within walking distance of, as we are leasing another historic property dating to the 1840’s a couple of blocks away. Besides the requisite bookstores and cafes, we will be a short jaunt from the amazing Handley Library (pictured above). As is evident, it is an architectural masterpiece and I am very much looking forward to working from there.
We will simply be moving a couple hours north to the other end of the Shenandoah Valley so we will still live relatively close to family and friends. On a related note, during my research for our move I reconnected with a former college roommate who lives in Winchester so knowing someone there helps with the upcoming transition. And perhaps the best part of the arrangement is that the apartment is furnished and includes utilities, further simplifying our lives.
As Robert W. Harris writes in Gypsying After 40: A Guide to Adventure and Self-Discovery, “Before you start looking, sit still awhile to ruminate. Dream dreams, imagine possibilities, create mind castles and don’t accept any old accommodation. Go on, let your imaginings run riot…You have put up with a lifetime of what was practical or what was possible. Now it is time to reach out for…the improbable.”