Dear friend,
It’s
Snow again, your friend from China now living in Virginia.
I
hope you received my last letter. My new life here is busy yet relaxing. Fixing
up the yard requires a lot of physical labor, which gives me plenty of time to
reflect on life. I absolutely love it!
A few days ago, I put in a small garden and planted some eggplants, tomatoes, peppers, and herbs. I also planted some fruit trees. I am not quite ready for a massive garden yet, but that is definitely the plan.
Ultimately,
my dream is to build a large, raised vegetable garden alongside a beautiful
flower garden. I want to design it so that people who cannot stand or bend can
easily work on it while sitting or using a wheelchair. I want everyone living
here to have the chance to enjoy gardening and share in the harvest.
Once
my house in Eugene, Oregon sells, I would love to start building our new house
here. After that, I plan to renovate the two existing small houses on the
property into a small Airbnb, and eventually, start my own senior care home.
Right
now, I am designing this dream senior care home with my own well-being in mind.
I am over 65, and I want to create a place where I would actually love to live
until the very end.
Here
is my vision: I want to move in as an independent person who does not need any
assistance. Over time, as I begin to need help, that care will come directly to
me. I won't have to go anywhere; the service will just adapt. Later on, if I
require total care, the service will scale up again. I will never have to pack
up and move—they will simply adjust my care level. When the end of life
approaches, a hospice program will be integrated so I can pass away
comfortably.
In
short: true aging in place.
I
know some facilities claim to offer "aging in place" because they
have independent living, assisted living, and nursing care all on one campus.
However, as a resident's care needs increase, they are forced to move to a
different wing or department, which causes immense confusion and stress. What I
want to build is a true aging-in-place home. Residents will rent their
apartment, make it their true home, and stay right there until the end.
Fortunately, I finally bought a
piece of land so I can build my dream home later. My plan is to start
construction after I retire, and I can take out a loan if needed. Now, I just
need to wait for my house in Eugene to sell before I can begin.
Today, I went to a job interview for
an outpatient RN position at a local clinic. I think it went well, but I have
to wait a couple of weeks to hear the results. I don't actually need to work,
but taking a job feels like a great way to learn about this new area and build
local connections. I really hope they hire me!
Well, I think it is time to make
some dinner and take care of the dog and cats. I will write to you again later.
Love,
Snow
Thursday, July 9, 2026
