Our future is totally up in the air. And I’m ok with it… which is odd. You’d think I’d find it terrifying, but I don’t. I’m confident I’ll find a travel nurse position that is good if not great. There aren’t a ton of January start dates out yet from hospitals, so I’m still waiting. I probably get asked 15 times a day where I’m going after leaving my job in December… it boggles the minds of most people that I don’t know still! I feel a sense of peace and confidence about it, though. It’s going to be just fine.
Money worries me, though. M worries me, too. Since coming home from Nepal she says many times a day, “Ahhhh, it’s so nice to be home.” I don’t want to live a life on the move if she’ll hate it. On the other hand, staying here is unsustainable from a money standpoint. Maybe traveling is partly good for kids, though, because they do so much appreciate “home” after returning. I mean, I don’t want her to think that having running hot water that is safe to drink is just a given. We should all appreciate and value it as the luxury it is. I want her to appreciate indoor heating and plumbing, 24/7 electricity, and access to entertainment and amenities because not everyone in the world has those things. It’s important to both appreciate places where those things are not available and feel gratitude for what you have at home.
I’m optimistic that I might find a position in the Bay Area of California to start, and be able to have my best friend nearby. It would give us built-in family, someone for M to socialize with, and even another childcare option when my mom needs a break. Access to beaches and mountains would restore my soul and help get me through to my next Nepal trip! I’m not going to pay off all my debt before traveling… I’ll work on it always, but as an ICU nurse I know firsthand that life is too short to put off what you want to do in life, even for responsible reasons. I have to budget carefully so that I can make all my payments on time, and not add onto any debt, but I can’t guarantee that I’ll life until age 80 so I have to travel at the same time.
Also, I have no problem telling everyone that my end game is to live in Nepal for parts of the year. I’m looking at renting an apartment for like $300 a month, and when I’m not there AirBnB’ing it out to other travelers. I have friends there I can pay to get them the key and make sure they don’t trash it. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a Kathmandu “home” to come back to?
Mother of All Things 