I’ve always had a serious case of Wanderlust. I want to travel and see the world. I know that I have been blessed to not only have seen quite a bit in my life but have been able to figure out how to travel with a larger family, on the cheap, with one income. (I’ve blogged about this MANY times)
Lately, my wanderlust has been stronger than ever. I attribute it to a few things. My husband works from home now, so he can work wherever and whenever he wants (as long as he gets his time in and has the internet). My daughter is also starting high school this year! That means we only have 4ish years to show her everything I want to. What!?! Where did the time go?!?! It is impossible to think it has gone by so fast. Now, mind you, she has been from Hawaii to Canada, to NYC, to Washington DC, to Florida and beyond. She is not lacking in traveling experience, but I want to see even more while I have my little family all in one house! I grew up traveling through Latin America and it has stuck with me. People are always saying to me “Wow, you travel a lot with your family!” Well, for me it’s the antidepressant drug of choice to experience this world with my family. It makes me happy.
The fact that my husband works from home also means we can live anywhere we want. For years, I have felt we have been “stuck” here because of the job situation, but that isn’t true anymore. However, it is hard to make the choice to uproot your kids just because you want to instead of having to (like many do for a job). It is actually exciting to think that you could move wherever you want… but also can be intimidating to pick the perfect place. I think I have picked the place we want to move, but don’t know if it’ll be next summer or in 4 years. It is just a matter of us deciding to do it. Taking the leap. We all know that moving isn’t fun! (and it’s expensive!)
When you have a child with special needs, it makes it even more difficult. Choosing to change their friends, school, schedule – life as they have always known it – is an extremely difficult choice to make. I go back and forth on a daily basis what is right for her and obviously have yet to come up with the right answer. We’ll either let her stay here until she graduates (in 4 years) or this next summer…. Or maybe we’ll just play it by ear and see how things go – maybe we’ll feel the need to move sometime in between there! In other words, I don’t know! But I told my husband I want to move by the time I’m 40 – just so we have a time-table! (Hopefully, It will be before that!)
In the meantime, it doesn’t help me get over that “stuck” feeling. I want to move. I want to travel. I want someplace different. However, I also am a mom. I want to do what is best for my family and my kids. I may have to put my wants on the back burner for maybe 4 years to do what is best for our family right now. That may change in the next year, but I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
The want to wander and feeling of being “stuck” in one place (To be clear, I only feel stuck in the place that I live, not by my family/husband) can be depressing. I often don’t know what to do about it. It can be frustrating and makes me want to pull my hair out in figuring out what is right for EVERYONE in the family.
In discussing it and doing research with my husband, we think we have come up with a temporary solution to my wanderlust/stuck feelings. I am really excited about the idea! I really hope it works and we can make it happen! Stay tuned! It could make for some exciting posts here on the blog. It may take up to a year for us to get what we are looking for, but hopefully, we will find it and we can let you all in on what our plans are.
I’m hopeful it will bring me out of my funk. Of course, we are going on vacation next week and then to Hawaii a few month after that, so that should help too! For me, wandering/experiencing the world – along with my husband and my kids – are like the drug that I need to survive. I have had a really hard time with the “stuck” feeling the last few years, so I am hopeful that this solution will help until we can find the right place for our entire family – at the right time.
