When the wind blows, rustling the leaves of the oaks on the mountainside, it sings a song that speaks to your soul. At least that's what it did for me when we were looking at properties in the Lost Maples Region. As soon as I stepped out of the car with the realtor, I knew. I knew this was THE place.
Our Move
Our family lived and worked in San Antonio, yet there was a longing and restlessness for a change. My children were so restricted as to their boundaries of where they could play in the neighborhood. My daughter's high school was so big she was lost in the crowd. I grew up in a town of about 17,000 people. We were free to roam the streets from morning up until the street lights came on. We rode our bikes all over town and the freedom was, well, quite literally "freeing". I wanted this for my children.
After a three-month series of offers that weren't accepted, the property being sold, the sale falling through, the property being traded, the trade falling through, we made an offer (less than the first) and it was official. We now owned 146 acres in the middle of nowhere.
Life was as it was meant to be and God was in control. Moving to the Lost Maples Region was an answer to many prayers. As soon as I stepped out of the car that day, the wind blew, and I knew exactly what to do. I knew to build cabins. I knew what to call them, how much to charge and how to market them. A complete business plan unfolded before me and I had never been so sure of anything in my life. Convincing my husband to walk away from an underground fuel tank business we had built over the past 10 years and embark on this new adventure with no prior experience was not as difficult as I would've thought.
There was confirmation every which way we turned. It was actually the easiest decision and transaction we've ever made. We had done a government job several years before and right before closing the funds from that job came through providing the down payment we needed. We had never been to this area before and knew nothing about it, but there was no fear. I knew, and my husband knew too.
We have never once regretted making the move. My children loved growing up in a small community and the opportunities it afforded them overshadowed the ones they missed out on by attending a 1A school versus a 5A school. They rode their bikes down the county road for hours and daily hikes in the mountains. They got involved in the local youth groups. Two of them graduated in a class of 10. My oldest son's class was up to 28 when we moved here so they split it up into two classes of a "normal size".
We have been blessed in our business as well, having the opportunity to meet so many kind and interesting people. Even a bigger blessing is being able to provide a place where people can unplug and find the solace we found in this quiet, beautiful hill country area. An area where God's majesty can be seen and experienced every single day. It just doesn't get old. Yes, it's a drive to HEB, Home Depot and doctor visits. But what a beautiful drive it is.
Thank you for coming to share it with us, we're glad you're here.
-The Hathorn Family
