Well, a better housing market for one. I would rather sell our home than give it away.
We would also need a very large truck and some hulky men to haul our furniture to the new location. After eight years, we have settled into our first house quite nicely - which means we have a ton of stuff. (Remember the college days, when eveyrthing you owned fit into your car?)
But more importantly, it would take a pretty solid guarantee of improvement. It would take a job that can utilize my husband's mega brains and talent as well as keep him happy and available for his family.
No one tells you in college that work... well... sucks. No matter how much you love what you do, it becomes just work after a while. It eventually gets old. When children become the #1 priority in your life, work is just another pull away. Just another thing nibbling at your time (and sanity).
No one tells you that, if you demostrate a decent work ethic and use your brains, you will eventually land yourself in management. Management, where you do much less (if any) of the actual work you once loved and instead deal with more budgets, reports, and personnel issues that you ever knew existed.
My husband is an awesome worker, detail-oriented and always reliable. And our little family is happy where we are. He is busy at work and always feels that tug of home life pulling at his sleeve, but we're appreciative of what he has and what he is able to provide for us. We are lucky to have a solid income to keep our family comfortable. But sometimes we can't help but wonder what our life would be like downsized.
Could my husband and I both work part time? Could we embark on a journey towards "Equally Shared Parenting"? Could we move out of the city suburbs and into a smaller town where pressures are less and cost of living is cheap? Could we do more for our girl by giving her less material things and more togetherness?
We are open to moving one day... but Atlanta is a wonderful place for us right now. What would it take for us to pick up and move? A guarantee of togetherness. A guarantee of comfort. A guarantee of true happiness. A guarantee of reduced stress. Maybe even a white picket fence.
Does that really exist? Has the competitive capitalist nature of the modern world burned away that utopia?
I really don't know. But I will keep dreaming!
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