Stuck…
I had an entirely different post in mind for today, but it really doesn’t want to be written yet. My husband asked me years ago if I was ready to move to a new country, and I said I wanted my children to grow up near family. That wish hasn’t changed, but I feel ready for a new adventure. I can’t put my finger on what’s wrong exactly, but I feel stuck. Does anyone know what I mean?
I have lived in one place all my life and I have been very blessed to have my family around me. I think I have finally gotten to the point where I know if we move, they won’t think I am deserting them. Well, ummm, most of my family will know this. If you are not familiar with southern grandma types, you are born in one place, you live in one place, and you die in one place. It’s as simple as that. I don’t think my grandmother would understand the “itchy” feeling I have. The feeling that there is still something I need to do before I reach 40. Call it a mid-life crisis if you will.
So, after visiting family, I am even more convinced that they would come visit me wherever I go. I want to see more of Europe and would love to go back to England and Spain. I want to see where my husband went to school in Germany and where my ancestors came from in France, Germany, and England. I feel like one of the greatest gifts I could give my children would be the gift of travel. Not just reading about history, but seeing where things happened.
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore…. Dream…. Discover…” ~Mark Twain
Spread awesomeness:
I understand how you feel, I think, Aimee. We are financially dependent on my husband’s job, so we let that be our guide for where we call home, but summer vacations open up so many rich experiences for kids. My boys are still young, so we have only gone on two big trips in the last two summers. My mind has made the shift from paying for things to paying for experiences.
As a military brat, I know what it is like to relocate and change schools, houses, friends, etc. It can be good and bad. What I don’t know is what it is like to grow up living nearby to grandparents or other extended family. I love that my kids have their own real relationships with my parents.
Life changes constantly and I think it is important to teach our kids to adapt. I also believe that God puts desires into our hearts for a reason. Maybe a wonderful adventure awaits! Good luck!
Thanks Barb:) My husband always talks about his experiences as wonderful, but you are right. He didn’t grow up near his cousins like I did, so I would like to give my kids the best of both worlds. We have stayed in place for a long time, but there is a desire to see the world:)
Living abroad is completely different than simply taking a trip…although both, often, end too soon.