In the quest for a more fulfilling and creative life, etc. etc. blah-blah, I have hardly been blogging maniacally. It has, after all, been over a month since my last posting. I couldn’t sum it up if I had to. It’s been plain nutty.
Amazing changes are at hand, though. Unfortunately, I can only partially credit my own hard work. That part is a bit anticlimatic, given my fiercely independent tendencies. (I wouldn’t even let my husband give me a bag to help me could carry the toilet paper a mile home from the grocery store yesterday.)
So what is on the horizon?
My husband has scored a monthlong teaching gig in Denmark. Wahoo! This will not only nicely accommodate my burning need to to see the big wide world, but force me to quit my job. Talk to me on March 16, when the deed is actually done….
I’m admittedly both thrilled and freaked out. On the other side of our six-week trip, we’re likely to be completely broke, so I’m looking for reliable ways to put food on the table. Is it possible that I’ll ultimately wind up staying in the 9 to 5 grind? Eeek! That thought has lit quite a fire under me. When I’m not creating sample itineraries for my late spring getaway, I’m creating sample work plans for the summer relaunch of my freelance business.
Here’s what I’m not interested in being: a housewife. For the record, I’ve been down that road, and it led me straight to disempowerment. Asking permission to replace my crappy old tennis shoes gave me kind of a rock-bottom feeling, and a desire for a more self-sufficiency. A friend at dinner the other night heard our travel news and exclaimed, “That’s terrific! You probably won’t even have to work … he can just support you!”
For me, this is not as fun as it sounds–though of course it may work for others. My sister-in-law, for example, rocks the housewife role like no one else. (You try being a mother of two todllers and training for a half marathon!) But different strokes. In summary, I’m beyond psyched to end the 9 to 5 phase of my existence, but I’ve got to get my butt in gear and whip up some freelance clients.
Meanwhile, if anyone has travel tips for any of these places, I’m curious to hear about your experiences.
Finland (Helsinki, Lapland, Karelia)
Lithuania (Vilnius)
Sweden (Stockholm and…?)
Russia (St. Petersburg, Karelia)
Croatia (Split, Dalmatian Coast)
Latvia (Riga)
Montenegro (coast)
