life and decisions: a sad little ditty..

Sometimes I wonder if we made the right decision when we moved away from the Midwest. I think about this every now and then when things are happening back home. Our very good friends were married just a few hours ago and we obviously are not there. We missed 2 other weddings this summer one in lower MI and one in Idaho, both for Adam's cousins. Come to think of it, we've missed a lot of weddings/births/parties since 2007 when we moved away. I have dear friends with children I have never met...and what's worse, I have a nephew that I haven't seen since he was 4 weeks old...he's now almost 9 months. I haven't seen my parents or brother in a year, and Adam's in 9 months. Traveling is expensive and taking time off from a job you just started doesn't look good...no matter how badly you want to see your family and friends. And it's the same story for all of them...few friends/family have come to visit us for the same reason we haven't gone to visit them: Life.

As I stated in my earlier post: "life is what happens while you're busy making other plans." When the invites and the announcements come in the mail the excitement sets in and you want to go so bad and in your head you say yes and then a few weeks/months later the questions come. You want to go but what will we do with the dogs? who will we stay with? how will we get there? how much time will we take off of work? oh shit, how much is this going to cost? And then the reality sets in...life takes over and you have to start making decisions that you hate and will regret later. And then as the parties/births/weddings are taking place you sit on your couch and cry because you've missed it...again.

Then you start your work week (mine doesn't start until Tuesday:) and you realize that you did this for the job, the opportunity, for your life. You did this because these opportunities weren't available in the midwest, at least not when you needed them. And one day you will be able to say yes to all of the invites, if they still come, and will be able to travel when and where you want because you've established yourself, paid your dues, made the sacrifices when you had to.

Unless of course Life has other plans for you....