Over the summer, I have spent my time in Maine helping build my future home. It's had its ups and downs, but I've grown to look past the issues I dealt with and focus on helping out as much as I can. Here are a few realities I've learned over this experience.

1. It Starts With A Vision

The idea of building a house in Maine came up as an afterthought once my parents purchased property in Steuben 12 years ago. They originally viewed it as an investment, but a couple of years ago, they decided to make use of what they had and build a house to live in. They wanted a peaceful retreat where they could live near the water and relax. Most of their time was spent trying to draw a sketch for their dream house, since they considered it to be their “last project” before they would fully enjoy being retired. I planned on helping out during my breaks because the house will be passed down to me and I want to feel that I deserve it. It’s not how I envisioned spending my summer, but so far I’m happy that I’ve been a part of this project.

2. Sacrifices Will Be Made

When I came up to Maine to work on the house I knew that I wouldn’t be living in a house, instead I would live in an RV with my parents until I went back to college. The RV is small and is designed to be used for a vacation, not as a temporary home. Although it’s not the ideal living accommodation, it’s a sacrifice that needs to be made until the house is built. There’s a library within a 10 minute drive from where I’m staying where I go to read or write my weekly articles. I’m disconnected from technology for most of the day, but for a couple of hours I feel somewhat normal being able to go online and see what’s going on in the world. In today’s society, it would be difficult for me to spend my entire summer without a way to be online. I need to have the ability to check emails and apply for internships before I head back to school. It’s a small sacrifice that I’m willing to endure while I’m up here, so long as I can spend a couple of hours handling my responsibilities online at the library.

3. It Takes Months Or Even A Year To Finish Building

The biggest thing to take into account is that it’s not a couple month process; it takes around a year to complete the house and reach the hard work will pay off over time, and there’s a sense of accomplishment knowing that you helped build the house along with a crew as opposed to sitting back and watching them do all the work. I know that I will be spending my breaks away from school, helping finish this project. It’s rewarding to know that I was able to turn an idea from a drawing on a paper to a reality (in the future). It’s an investment I can step back and appreciate once it’s completed.