“And they are going to begin work on the walkways outside your front door in one week.”
After a brief pause, I burst out laughing.
I had just been informed by our HOA President that the walkway in front of our condominium was going to be demolished so that emergency repairs to the foundation could be made. With the walkway removed, we would not have any access to our third-floor unit.
“And for how long will we be displaced?”
“At least five weeks.”
So, with little notice, Andrew and I needed to make other arrangements ASAP to live during the ongoing demolition and reconstruction process.
In all fairness to our HOA, I knew the demolition was coming, just not exactly when. I also believed that we would have more advanced notice.
Andrew and I could have rented another unit in our complex that was not affected by the demolition but we quickly (quick because we had to!) decided to use our ‘homelessness’ as an opportunity for a “staycation” adventure.
I quickly reserved a pet-friendly Air BnB in downtown Pensacola three blocks from our office. We moved in less than a week later with our two cats and two suitcases each.
Although small, the cottage we rented is adorable and the best part is that I am walking to the office every day!
After work, Andrew and I can walk or ride our bikes to restaurants, bars, and shops downtown. 
And surprise, surprise, we both fell in love with “city living” so much that we decided after a couple of weeks to rent an apartment downtown and rent out our condominium on the beach!
We figure it’s only a year that we are committing to so if we do not enjoy it, we will move back to the beach next Fall.
I am learning to roll with the punches and it’s actually very exciting.
Sometimes even our best laid estate plans need to pivot too given unforeseen and sometimes, sudden, changes in circumstances: a death, an illness, a marriage, the birth of a child or grandchild, an out of state move, an addiction of a loved one, etc.
It is important to keep your estate plan flexible and be willing to revisit it periodically.
My Pink Lawyer® recommends estate plan reviews every 3-5 years, unless you know that your circumstances have changed in the meantime.
Unless you become mentally incapacitated and unable to legally change your estate planning decisions or you die, your estate plan can be updated at any time and, in fact, should be updated regularly (or at least reviewed regularly). There is usually always room for improvement.
We regularly meet with our clients to discuss and review their estate plans we have previously helped them craft. If updates are desired or warranted, we also update our clients’ estate planning binders to ensure that all documents are current and well-organized for their loved ones.
Click here to schedule your review consultation with one of our attorneys.
It has been a flurry of activity over the past couple of weeks getting everything organized to make yet another move. There are leases to be signed, utility accounts to establish, furniture to purchase, updated vaccination records for our cats required, and arrangements to be made to rent out our condo. Oh, and most importantly, clients to serve!
You may find that the moral to this story is that sometimes what initially seems to be a punch in the gut can actually turn into a blessing in disguise.
Or, my take-away over that last few weeks is that we get to choose our own adventure in this life. When you are handed lemons, why not make lemonade?
Kristen “Rolling With the Punches” Marks
