Feeling melancholy at the moment. Missing the years where the girls and I were on the road as much as we were home. I love hitting the road, heading off on a new adventure. But now that they are both in school and getting older, we have more obligations and commitments, and less time to explore.
Of course, as they headed off to school, I started to take time for me. My Happiness Project somewhat ironically has freed me to volunteer at the Red Cross and to begin my photography classes. These “commitments” keep me here, even if I had the vacation days at work to travel or could work from the road (as I did many, many times). As always, it is a balancing act. The kids need the time off from school as down time and time with friends. I need to save up my own “off time” for our two big summer trips.
I’m looking forward to our summer trips (well, one of them….the other I’m trying to not feel so grumbly about). But 4.5 weeks? That’s more vacation days than I have. And so I’ll have to work on both my trips and still have no days left over for winter, spring, fall, Christmas breaks.
Yes, I’m sad about not getting to head to the beach this coming week as so many of my friends and my kids’ friends are getting to do. But I’m trying to keep in mind that I’m balancing my newly found activities, my kids’ activities, my work and our big summer trips.
Somehow, it should be enough, even when it feels like it isn’t.
