Today we sat down and wrote down our dreams and goals for the next four to five years. Somehow they seem more attainable once they are written down.Cliff has been busy submitting his college transcripts to a four year college near us. He has been accepted and is in the process of deciding his major. His major will depend on how many years it will take to finish his bachelor degree. So far a management degree would take him two years to finish. There are other options, but he doesn't want to spend more than two years jumping through hoops.
In the meantime, we will be working on home maintenance projects. Our bathroom and kitchen must get remodeled next year sometime. Our bathroom sub-floor is slowly rotting away. Once Cliff finishes his four year degree he plans to take a class to get certified to teach ESL abroad. Once he is certified to teach abroad the school he uses to get certified will help him find a job placement overseas, and what locations abroad will fly us there, and provide housing. We plan to live abroad a few years than come home. We hope to rent our house out for part of the time we will be gone. We dream of going to Thailand for a year to work or even Australia. We want to be some place warm and where the people are friendly to Americans.
Once we come home we still plan to travel and unschool the kids. Cliff is always looking on-line to see how much buses are selling for. Maybe once we get back from overseas, gas prices will be more tolerable. This will be around 2012 or 2013. Those years look weird.
We hope to travel all around the U.S. seeing friends and family and different national and historical markers. By then Holden will be at least 11 and Camden will be 8. They will be raring to learn and do more. We may be traveling full-time or just part time. A lot of factors will play into this.
Holden will be 7 years old in December and I asked him what his goals or dreams are for this year. He was easy on me. He wants a Wii and Playstation. He wants to go to the Science Center and go horseback riding. It's already been a really fun year and so we will try to raise the bar anywhere we can to make it the best year ever! Both boys love traveling and meeting new people. They love being on the go. They do well while traveling and want to experience new things as much as Cliff and I do. They love their friends here, but they have told us they will be o.k. leaving for awhile. They make friends everywhere they go, so this is no concern to them.
My goals are simple: Exercise everyday and enjoy being a mom; support my kids and husband in all their lively pursuits. I want to write more and submit some writing to be published in a magazine. I sent in a short story to Reader's Digest yesterday. I have feeling it will be published. I need to look into Mothering Magazine and some other magazines like that. I want to get to know other unschoolers in my area. I have several friends here, but there are a few I want to get to know better. I'm always amazed at all the interesting things these folks have going on in their lives and the creative ways they live. I'm the type of person who loves learning about other people. I get so busy with my own life (kids and extended family members) that I don't always make time for friendships.
This summer will continue to be full of fun times. We have a neighborhood festival in August and the Iowa State Fair is coming up next week. The boys continue to play with all their buddies every chance they get. We have someone at our house almost every day. Or they are at a friend's house. This fall and winter will be very exciting for us. We each have birthdays and our 13th wedding anniversary is in October.
It's really warm and sunny this week. A good time to think about what we want to be doing with our lives. We want to look back and know we were doing what we were meant to do, and have no regrets. The main thing is being happy now, no matter what life brings each day. The dreams will become realities at some point. I feel better now that they (written dreams) are hanging on the bulletin board. Our dreams for the spring and summer came true! Cliff was home full-time with us all spring and summer. And so far we have had an amazing experience. We'll look back on this year with such delight.
6 comments:
That sounds so cool to travel and unschool. I hope you find a way to make that goal happen!
I see that a lot of japanese restaurants have opened in town in the last two years. since they are non-smoking now, maybe this would be a good time for you to try to barter with one of them for the hina dolls. People would probably like to trade something for japanese food.
I thought by now you would have sold them for yourself. I think about those dolls a lot. They are worth quite a bit. Have you thought about selling them for yourself? I would love to pick them up and trade when we find the right person to trade with. Maybe if I have the dolls here I would be more motivated? I'm indecisive about it still.
That's wonderful! One step in front of the other, that's how you get there! Something we did also, when we were wanting to travel, was to talk about it like it was fact. Everyone thought we were going crazy but it worked!
Our travel dreams are a fact. We just don't know exactly how they will play out and for how long. We try to keep an open and accepting mind. Anything is possible. ;)
The hardest part is that it seems like a long time away. But two years is not that long away.
Wow! I just read this post. I think we will have to write down our list too!
Btw, I would love to make the horseback riding happen for your boys! They are great!
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