~* Reason #14: Snow Days *~

This isn't something I really ever thought about growing up in the North. Snow was just an expected thing, anytime from Thanksgiving to Easter. But here in the South....life is different. It snowed last night, maybe about 4 inches, and the entire town is pretty much shut down. Fort Bragg- yeah, the military post- is SHUT DOWN. It's crazy. But, it got me thinking- What about people with kids??

Some people do have to work today. What about the ones that have kids? How do you find a last minute baby-sitter willing to drive on the mostly-unplowed roads to come watch your kid for a bit? And what if you can't really afford one, but can't afford to take the day off from work? Headaches I'm happy without.

Then, of course, there are parents who stay home so it's not as big of a deal for them. But I HATE snow. And ice. And cold weather. Kids love that shit. Kids who usually sleep til noon will be up at the crack of dawn to go play in the snow. And as a responsible parent, you should probably be out there with them, showing them how to build a snowman or throw a snowball. FUCK THAT. I would be the most miserable parent on earth, stuck outside in the damn snow just so my kid could play in it for a while. There is nothing in this world I hate more than being cold. Ugh.

So, today, I'm grateful to be childless because it means I can hang out with my Netflix, inside, with a nice hot cup of coffee instead of freezing my nips off playing outside in this crap.

~* Reason #13: Wanderlust *~

I know this kind of falls under the road-trip subject, but not really. I'm talking more about moving, less about vacations. Lately, I've been contemplating my options for the future. I have 4 1/2 months left on my employment contract, and the lease on my apartment is easy to get out of. I've been wondering what to do if my investors don't come through for me, which is looking more and more like a probability. I have endless options. The only thing limiting me is, as always, finances. But, I have no other ties. Nothing else holding me down. Nobody else to be responsible for. I've been thinking I might move to the beach. You know when you're trying to make a decision, and you're playing out all the options, and then you hit the right answer and your whole body feels lighter? That's what happened when I stumbled across that thought.

I tend to make my decisions based on the people in my life. But right now, there is nobody else in my life. Including family. Hell, my mom couldn't even bother to tell me she got married again, so nobody else gets a say in where I go or what I do anymore. I had stumbled across a quote the other day that lit up in my head when I thought about moving to the beach- "Instead of always planning your next vacation, you should focus on creating a life you don't need to escape from." How perfect is that?

I know it's all up in the air, and I still have a few months to figure out what I'm actually going to do. But my point is, I don't have to think about how my decision will affect anyone else. I don't have to worry about packing for another person, finding a new school or baby sitter, tearing them away from their friends, trying to explain the WHY of moving (because your mom just wants to, kid). I know it sounds selfish, but it's really a relief to not concern myself with anyone else.

~* Reason #12: Road Trips *~

I enjoy road trips, on the rare occasion that I have enough "extra" money to just fill the tank and go somewhere. It takes about 6 hours to get back to Baltimore, and it's all highway driving. Something about it just relaxes me. When I make this trip, I usually plan 2 stops- about 2 hours apart. I learned this lesson after the first time I made that drive alone- I hadn't wanted to stop, so I just kept driving. By the time I made it home, I was sick. Wobbly, nauseous, dehydrated. Miserable. So now, I stop about 2 hours in to pee, then again halfway through VA for gas, and if needed, I'll stop again to pee. I blast the music the whole ride. I speed- I can't help it, my right foot is made of lead. I'll eat in the car. I have plenty of bottled water. It's therapy.

Now, add to that relaxing scenario at least one kid. Age is irrelevant. Before I even start typing the list, I'm getting tense.

I'd have to pack for the kid. Clothes and food and stuff to keep it "occupied" during the trip (as if any kid anywhere has ever been occupied on a road trip). I'd have to censor my music. I'd probably be more cautious of speeding (yes, I know that's not necessarily a bad thing). I'd have to stop at least twice as often to feed it, or let it pee, or change it. I'd have to talk to another human being. I'd have to unpack it, then pack it back up every time we stopped somewhere. I might even have to deal with carsickness. Ugh.  Then, I'd have to do it all again on the return trip! Nothing about that seems remotely fun to me.