Ok, as they say, hear me out here. You know the way in your 20s, life is full of options and you’re not sure which way you’re going and what the impact will be on the rest of your life. Then you get into your 30s and 40s and it’s head down career, children, mortgage. I am speaking in generalisations here but I think it is broadly true for my generation.
By the end of this year (barring disaster in the Leaving Cert) all my children will be in college. I’m no longer worrying about elderly parents (because they’re dead, I’m not saying it’s all fun and games). I’ve taken time out of work which I know isn’t possible for everyone. But somehow for me and many of my friends (who knew all my friends were about the same age? Not me) all the cards are thrown up in the air again. I am finding it intriguing and rather exciting. Is it just me?
I completely agree with this. I’m a little further out than you (one more year before the offspring is university-bound) but my husband and I have already begun to talk about what’s next. It’s helpful that he has already retired. The idea that is most intriguing is me finding a job overseas for a couple of years as the grand finale to my career. We’re picky about where we would go, though, with a key consideration of fairly easy and frequent connections back to the US, in part due to daughter (although she is likely to spend part of her uni career overseas) but also the three living parents we are fortunate to have.
Exciting Karen! You should go for it.