I thought about it. Seriously thought about it. Last week when I bought a ticket for the $640 million lottery jackpot I allowed myself to dream about how I would spend that insane amount of money.
My dreams include a house in Hawaii. This would be for vacations whenever we want to go. No, I don't need to live in Hawaii. Living in Hawaii means we get to look at the ocean as we drive to school each morning, come home and do homework, and then drive to all our extracuricular activities. If we're not busy on the weekend we might be able to squeeze some time in at the beach. (I know this because I already live 20 minutes from the beach and rarely visit.) Vacationing in Hawaii seems the way to go.
A house in Big Bear would also be fun so we could spend the winter playing in the snow and skiing. No, I'm not dreaming any bigger. My kids still have to go to school during the weekdays. I just want to be able to drive up on a Friday, play Saturday, come home Sunday and be back to the grind Monday. For some reason, driving 2 hours in my van seems more reasonable than involving airplane travel in this fantasy. (I am ever the pragmatist.)
I would buy a house in my neighborhood so my sister and brother could come for extended visits. I understand they have a life and I would be willing to share custody of them with their other friends and family. They can spend half the year in Washington D.C. or Florida as their mood suits, and half the year with me. (I feel this is more than generous.)
Lastly, although I would make minor renovations to my house, when seriously thinking about where I want to live I couldn't dream of being anywhere else. We have great schools. I have a nice house. And I love my neighborhood. When we bought our house in this new development, it turned out that all the other buyers were families with kids the same age. I look forward to watching all our kids grow up together.
When our neighborhood egg hunt was done yesterday, we all posed for a group shot. I was with my family, our parents, and some great neighbors. How many people can say they are exactly where they want to be? The only way I could be more fortunate is if my sister lived right next door. Start working on that for me Maggie!
Great post. I totally agree and I CAN say I'm exactly where I want to be! A few years ago, I was very unhappy. But that was because I was working and not at home with my kids. At that time, I said if I won the lottery, I'd quit my job and stay home with my kids. Well, now my husband is doing better in his job and I eventually did quit. I stay home with my kids. I cart them all over the place. I suffer through homework with them. And while those things are pains in the butts, not a day goes by when I dont' feel lucky that I'm able to do those things with my kids. If I won the lottery today, I'd take a few more vacations. Because, you're right... vacation spots are for visiting. If you lived there, you'd want to get away from there, too.
ReplyDeleteI love that you're doing something that makes you happy. There is nothing worse than dreading work every day whether it is a job you drive to or staying home with the kids. It's important to like what you do.
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