From Y’all to Yonder…

I had an interesting talk with the FED Ex guy a few weeks back. He had stopped to deliver a package, and asked me if I remembered our first conversation the summer I had bought the property, and how I had shared (with much excitement) my dreams for the B&B.  He said he listened to my passionate deliverance of said dreams as he gazed  at an empty lot next to the house– and had the notion of every Texan who knows better– “oh bless your  heart”- but he didn’t share that outloud.

 I laughed.  Now that I know what “bless your heart” actually means…

 But alas.  Brace yourself.

See, here is the problem with success of the dream.  And cancer.  And daughters. And distance.  And getting older.  And the realization of just how fast time flies once you start paying attention to just how fast time flies….

Make sure your life is full of can’t believe I did that,” instead of

 I should’ve done that”

While visiting Mackenzie last December, I had tried one last ditch effort for her and Ian to move to Texas.  Nope. This has been a four year plea.  But she upended the conversation by asking me if I ever thought of moving to Virginia.  That was a hard no from me. 

Virginia? I had  only been in Texas a mere four years, I lamented.  I love Randle Lane, the people, my business, I am really learning how to decipher the Texas lexicon such as  Y’all and fixin,” and I have learned to make pretty good corn bread– and working on my Mexican fiesta food group. Never mind the weather. I love the Texas weather. 

And “never no mind” the conversation was closed and I came back to my sweet Texas life. I had surgery #2  on my noggin a few weeks later, and 2025 began without incident. 

 Ian called me earlier this summer and asked for permission to marry my daughter.  My baby.  My only child.  And along with that major event to happen in May of  2026,  I am sure there will be children in the next few years, and I will get to pick my own cool grandmother name.

“You know we can start a business together here in Virginia. We could see each other more,” Mackenzie quietly says over the phone on a sunny September morning this past fall.

You know, total manipulation and pulling on the ol’ heart strings.

I feel it was a whole coup d’etat from the two of them. 

But after the cancer last year, and still so many things in life I want to see and do– the idea had already seeped into my subconscious–and I had had fleeting thoughts of “if I can do this in Texas, couldn’t I do something else somewhere else,” for a lot of this year.  I can see how success is addictive. 

And then one starts to realize wanting the cake and eating it too, along with all the icing and maybe a few sprinkles; a business and being part of Mack’s day to day would actually be…. really great. 

So almost a year after she brought that up,  I have officially put the house on the market.  It’s a great property– with two  multi- generational cottages perhaps, or studios, rental space– or maybe keep it as a B&B. The possibilities are endless.

I know, right? Southern  Blasphemy. 

Here’s the thing no one tells us about getting older — I  still feel 35 in my head, but my joints and  heart remind me otherwise. I have realized that every decision carries a little more gravity, a little more meaning. I have built something from scratch, poured a year or two  of sweat, fear, laughter, and late nights into a dream that finally fits — and now, just when it all feels right, life nudges me to let go of some of it.

No, the cancer hasn’t returned, and yes, business is fine.  It’s growing, I have branched into weekly food prep for busy families who abhor cooking, I have folks come for sourdough, a corporate long term stay currently, folks booking parties- but there’s the rub ( Aye, Hamlet…) I have only the cake here in Texas and the sprinkles and that great icing lives in Virginia.

It’s not easy standing on the edge of change again. There’s pride in what I’ve built here — the business I love, the clients who became friends, the business I have created — but there’s also this undeniable pull toward Mackenzie and her life.

Moving isn’t just about packing boxes–it’s about choosing connection over comfort, family over familiarity, love over logic. Because even though I’ve built a beautiful life in Texas, I can’t ignore the whisper that says, “Don’t miss the next chapter of Mackenzie’s life.”

And there is also a non stop flight from Richmond to DFW. 

Maybe success isn’t just about thriving in my business — maybe it’s about knowing when to pivot. Maybe it’s about having the courage to try yet something again — because why not? I still have at least 30 years left of good living yet. ;)

And so, in the interim, it’s business as usual, and I continue to putz around in the Texas sun. The right people will drive up the lane one day and they will say this is it! This is the house we want!

Maybe that’s the real story here — reinvention is no longer just for the twenty and thirty year olds.   It’s when we look at our child and realize we want to be part of her everyday ordinary routine — the coffee runs, the Sunday dinners, the laughter that fills a kitchen. I would love to make her a sourdough loaf and drop it off, or have them over for Sunday dinner.

It takes courage to walk away from what’s comfortable, from a business I have built with my own two hands, from a lane that feels like home.  But then I remind myself– I did that in 2020 when I finished a 32 year career with a stable paycheck and free health care– and this Texas chapter has exceeded every expectation I had dreamed about. 

So, if you are looking for a great property, complete with renovations and two lovely cottages for your kids or parents or in-laws–or maybe you want to try your hand at a B&B, or see your own business vision– call me–I will be happy to give you a tour.   

Have a very Merry Christmas everyone, and all the best for 2026! 

Colleen McCullough is the owner of The Virginia May Bed and Breakfast @ Eagle Mountain Lake.  You can follow the BnB  on Instagram and Facebook  @thevirginiamay