I have been told I think to much. I guess its all the free time I have, or just my crazy brain that will not stop spinning. But I am finding myself thinking a lot lately about hoping I'm not missing out on life.
I'm not talking about things like, going out to eat, or trying a new beer (although those are good things). I'm more talking about experiences and adventures. It's no secret that I do not like things to get boring. I enjoy change and the scariness that comes with the unknown. Yeah, sometimes it stresses me out...like my current job search-but other times it is so exciting!
One of the reasons I was o.k. with moving to Portland was because it was new and different and far away from MI. People told us we were stupid/crazy/brave? to just pack up our car and move. I thought it was going to be a huge adventure that we would conquer together.
Thing is, now that we are here, and it's been 4+ months. I'm ready for the next adventure. No, we have not discovered all that Portland has to offer. And I know that. There is so much stuff here that we need to do. Without having a car, we are very limited as to how far we can get out of the city. I think that's the main problem. We can't get to places to hike, or climb, or ski, or snowshoe without renting a car which is a big expense. That is something we are discussing constantly it seems like.
First major question-Is buying a car and paying for everything that comes with it worth it so we can be more active in our adventures?
Lately I seem to be reading all these stories of people who are constant travelers. Or have the opportunity to take a 3 week vacation to Thailand or Europe or New Zealand. I'm trying hard not to become a green monster.
I tried (unsuccessfully) last night to convince Eric that we should just buy an old van or rv and travel the world discovering new places. He lovingly pointed out the obvious setbacks of my plan. Money being the biggest one.
Here's my struggle. How do we balance working in the corporate culture that only gives you two or three if your very lucky, weeks off a year for vacation time, and the constant desire to travel?
Working retail I know 99.9% of the time that I will have to work both Saturday and Sunday. That's a give-in. Which leaves my days off during the week when Eric is working. This is a very frustrating thought for me.
Second major question-How important is money to me/us? Is me working full time so we can grow our bank account worth not having any time off together?
Third major question(s)-How do I please my constant desire to pack up everything and move around? Do you know how much world there is to see? All these amazing things to do and see and do you know how many people actually go see them?
Yes, maybe I think to much. But is it so bad to always want to do more?
So, here's what I think, take it or leave it:
ReplyDeleteI'm right there with ya on the desire to get out, see the world, experience new things. But realistically, life can not be one huge "on the road" adventure. Sometimes the laundry has to be done (or dinner cooked, or money earned, etc). So, what you have to do it a bit of reframing. Plan to get out and do the fun things when you can, but recognize that there is also great joy to be found in the regular, ordinary things of life. Look for happiness in the quotidian, too.
As for seeing the world, once Eric gets a bit further along in his career, opportunities to move overseas and work may come up. Take them! We've seen so many cool things that way. (But you also need to recognize that even if you had a zillion dollars and traveled every day you'd probably not manage to see everything wonderful that God created. And you'd get awfully tired!!)
You are so much like your Dad! Now that Dad actually has vacation time that he can take, we are finding that those 2 or 3 weeks per year and a special day here and there are enough to keep us motivated the rest of the year.
ReplyDeleteAlso, some of the greatest adventures in life are found in serving other people. I'm speaking to myself, I know, when I ask in the balance of your life, how much is for yourself, and how much is for others? What about a mission trip? You did so well in Honduras.
As far as cars, I think you know my answer. They sure are nice to have, especially in an emergency. It would be nice to drive to the mountains or two the gorge for an afternoon or evening.