Crossroads

I'm at a crossroads in my life and what I had planned isn't going to play out the way I'd hoped. I have to figure out what direction I'll follow. My commander says he wants to meet with me next week to discuss future assignments and my career path. Well, I thought I knew what I wanted. To just stay put for another three years then retire to the country, but lately I've been feeling that maybe I should take another assignment and continue the adventure. I don't know. I risk so much by continuing on and it'd also delay the dream of settling down and finding a home. I could go anywhere in the world now. Why should I want to settle for Alabama or the south for that matter. I crave beautiful places, I crave simplicity, but I want adventure as well. So I have decisions to make.

What simplicity means to me
An end to rushing out the door each morning to fight traffic for an hour then barely make it to work on time. Only to be stressed even further by deadlines, meetings, work and chaos.
Being able to see my kids off to school and greet them when they come home.
Having time to enjoy my writing instead of rushing to get projects done.
Lingering over my plants and gardens.
Enjoying the quiet and piece of nature.
Spending my time doing what I like and what comes naturally.
Enjoying time with my kids before they head off to college and start their own lives.
Enjoying my pets.
Enjoying adventures as they come.
Enjoying fewer demands and more quality from life.

Getting Rid of Stuff

On the way to simplicity! I got rid of a ton of junk this weekend. The kids have been helping out a lot more lately and we were able to eliminate so much stuff that we hadn't used for years. My oldest daughter, Amber, cleaned out of the basement for me. Which was a huge undertaking since it was a real mess. Aimee and Kodi pitched in and also got rid of their old things. We also took advantage of the shed and moved my husbands stuff into it until he can pick it up. The house is looking a lot less cluttered but I know we still have a long way to go. Little by little we'll get there.

On a different note. I've been doing hand to hand combat training at work all week. It's been really good for me emotionally but physically, I can barely move. It's still very fun though, even with all of the bruises, scrapes and black eye. Three more days to go. Wish me luck.