... when I feel all restless and can't think straight. This is probably because I'm up for an awesome job that will 1) teach me stuff I want to know 2) pay my bills and 3) make my wife happy. I was supposed to hear something about this last Friday, but of course I didn't hear anything so now I'm assuming I didn't get the job when there are other perfectly legitimate reasons why I haven't heard back (or maybe I just didn't get the job).
So this morning (it's just now 11am), I've decided it's really in my best interest to pack up my little family and run away to Southeast Asia. Why, you ask? Because it's hot there, the food is awesome, and it's a cheap place to live.
Oh, wait, you meant why pack up and move at all? Because that is my first instinct when I feel like things aren't working out someplace. I get this urge to make a plan, however half-baked, and dive in head first to start my life over again. I get scared and I funnel that fear into a new adventure. That's how I wound up in France, and later in Alaska. It works for me, or at least it did until I bought a house and Leigh got an awesome job with health benefits. That's hard to give up, especially now that we're having a baby.
At any rate, were I to do this running away thing it would consist of the following:
So this morning (it's just now 11am), I've decided it's really in my best interest to pack up my little family and run away to Southeast Asia. Why, you ask? Because it's hot there, the food is awesome, and it's a cheap place to live.
Oh, wait, you meant why pack up and move at all? Because that is my first instinct when I feel like things aren't working out someplace. I get this urge to make a plan, however half-baked, and dive in head first to start my life over again. I get scared and I funnel that fear into a new adventure. That's how I wound up in France, and later in Alaska. It works for me, or at least it did until I bought a house and Leigh got an awesome job with health benefits. That's hard to give up, especially now that we're having a baby.
At any rate, were I to do this running away thing it would consist of the following:
- Sell EVERYTHING I own.
- Put my house up for rent (the $300/month extra we make on the rental would cover rent on a place in the mountains of Thailand or in a coastal town in Vietnam).
- Save up some money (enough to get by for a few months)
- See if Leigh can keep her job from abroad (hey, stranger things have happened!)
- Buy an awesome camera
- Buy plane tickets
- Arrange to ship puppy and kitty to wherever
- Board plane
- Go!
- Eat lots of noodles
- Get a job teaching English or something
- Rethink the genius of this decision in about a year when I have no savings, we miss our families, and I realize that it might be nice to have a real job, at least for a little while, by the time I'm 30.
I've also decided that I need to do the following:
- Visit the Netherlands again, this time in the summer, and also make time to visit Maastricht to see where my people come from.
- Travel to Japan, even if it's just for a little while. That place is crazy expensive, but with such a rich and different culture, it'll be like visiting another planet, and therefore, a bargain.
- Make time to visit New York. I only lived there for 3 1/2 months in law school but I really loved the energy of the place, the sense of unending possibility, the food, the access to the outside world. Even after a semester of working my ass off, socializing, and exploring, there's still so much I missed. Leigh's brother lives there now, so we have a valid excuse to visit and when we do, I'll arrive with a list in hand of stuff I should have done but never thought to (like visiting a few "literary bars").
- Spend our first Baby-cation in Mexico, at a beach near Puerto Vallarta. Leigh and I loved the Yucatan, but it's just too far from Alaska. The PV area is about 8-10 hours from Anchorage by air, and there are a few funky, artsy surfer towns nearby where we can chill out on the beach with Baby, take surf lessons, and drink Mexican beer. Leigh says we can start taking "real trips" with Baby when s/he is a year. The first "real trip" will be a Christmas trip to the East Coast to meet the grandparents and other relatives. After that I'm free to plan Baby-ventures for our little family.
Now I'm trying to refocus, reminding myself that it's still really early and maybe the decision-maker on this job opening is just really swamped. Even if I don't get the job there are always other options... actually the job market totally sucks right now so if I don't get this job I'll probably unemployed for at least 4-6 weeks this fall... Breath in, breath out....
In the meantime I can think about things like the awesome bike ride I did yesterday: 100 km (62 miles) around the city of Anchorage. I did the ride by myself as part of an organized ride, but about 1/3 of the way through I hooked up with another rider (we got a little turned around at the same time), then later 3 more riders, and then 2 more riders. Soon enough there were 7 of us navigating the city together and encouraging each other. I really needed the encouragement, especially after mile 45 or so.
Also, our trip to Las Vegas in August. I'm so excited to feel the heat of the sun, sit by the pool, and drive out into the desert. This trip will also involve an amazing day hike, a few nights out on the town, and lots of great food. So excited. I keep researching good deals in Vegas, shows, fun ways to spend our time that doesn't involve strip clubs or gambling. Even though I tend to plan vacations that are more like adventures, Vegas really does have something for everyone and is a great getaway destination. It'll be perfect for me and a pregnant lady to unwind before Baby comes along.
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