MOOERS — Sharon and Roger King have only a single couch and a couple of folding chairs left in their living room.
Other than the bare necessities, everything else has been packed away or sold.
And after the closing date on the sale of their LaValley Road property, the Kings will travel around the country in their 32-foot RV.
“Some people think we’re nuts,” Sharon said, laughing.
A BIG ADVENTURE
The Kings will shed no tears shed when they pull the RV out of the driveway, leaving the dream home they built in 2003.
“The adventure makes it worth it because we love meeting people, and I love waking up to different scenery, and if I don’t like the scenery, I can change it. That’s one of the nicest things,” said Roger, 69.
“To make the choice of selling the home so you can go forward onto something that you never would think you could do — that’s exciting,” added Sharon, who’s 63.
PROMPTED BY HEALTH
The Kings have chosen to live out their dream sooner rather than later because of health problems they have both experienced.
Roger suffers from the effects of poliomyelitis — post-polio syndrome — which has weakened his heart and prevents it from pumping properly.
His doctor told him his health could fail at any time.
“He said if you want to do something, do it now before you can’t do it anymore, so I said let’s go,” Roger said.
Sharon has had her share of health issues, as well.
She had gastric-bypass surgery 10 years ago after enduring three strokes and living with diabetes. She also had surgery to remove ruptured discs in her neck and spine that were causing numbness in her arm.
“I’m lucky I’m here today,” she said.
CREATED DREAM SITE
The Kings have enjoyed almost a decade living on property they discovered by accident.
They learned the land was for sale while at a party at the home of a woman who baby-sat their children in the 1970s.
They jumped on the opportunity, purchasing the land in 1999.
Sharon and Roger put a lot of work into making their home just the way they want it.
“We planned on staying here forever,” she said.
The property boasts a large lawn, a pond, a brook and a small island, all detailed by stones they carried and placed by hand. The backyard sits above the Great Chazy River, with an idyllic and stunning view.
“We designed all the grounds,” Roger said.
The beauty of the land on which his home sits “can never be duplicated, as far as I’m concerned,” he said.
“I’ve had it, I’ve enjoyed it for years, and now I can finally say that I let it go.”
GOODBYE TO BELONGINGS
And after selling almost all of the things they couldn’t take with them, the couple is ready to leave at a moment’s notice.
“We’ve depleted about 96 percent of the things that we own that we can’t take with us,” Roger said.
It was difficult to let go of some of their belongings.
“I was a contractor for 25 years, and I had to give up all my tools,” for both space and health reasons, Roger said.
And it was difficult for Sharon to part with an oak furniture set, which she gave to one of her sons.
But the loss of inanimate objects shouldn’t be a cause of sorrow, she said.
“The stuff in the house is really, truly materialistic. When you really think about it, there’s more to life than just your pretty furniture,” she said.
Keeping in touch with their five children and 11 grandchildren has become more important to Sharon and Roger than keeping their home.
And the promise of “looking out the bedroom window of the RV at the ocean” in Florida has kept their enthusiasm high.
WINDING THEIR WAY SOUTH
After the closing on their house, they will pack up their RV and visit family in the Albany area.
Then they will visit a relative in Merrimac, Mass., and later work their way up to Rye Harbor State Park in Maine.
They plan on driving south for the winter, since the cold aggravates Sharon’s fibromyalgia and Roger’s arthritis.
“I tell the friends that come here for the garage sales, I’m going to stay ahead of the cold and behind the heat,” Roger said.
The Kings’ new life has reinforced the words they live by.
“If you’ve ever had a dream and you’ve wanted to do something, you don’t want to wait until you can’t do it. Pursue it,” Roger said.
“We’re going for it,” Sharon said.
