Memorial Day 2004 is (finally) over. Our final visiting guest, my wonderful Mom-in-law, left today. It’s been a great week with lots of company visiting. The kids had a good time, the adults had a good time, the food was great, the weather fantastic … just a great holiday overall.
But it was also possibly the last holiday we’ll ever have like this.
The biggest news of the weekend is that my brother-in-law and his family are moving back east soon. When that happens, our nearest relatives will be my other brother-in-law, whose family lives 4-5 hours away in Boise. And when that happens, it’ll be the first time since 1994 that we’ve lived without family in the same town or relatively close — close enough to get together on holidays.
It’s an odd feeling, being all alone. I feel like we have no anchors holding us here anymore. Sure, we both have jobs. But for the first time in a long time, maybe ever, we’re both doing “portable” work — work that can be done anywhere, in any city in any state. When I was in TV, I was tied down. There were so few job openings that you didn’t dare consider moving somewhere because you wanted to. You only moved if you had a new job lined up. Likewise when Cari was in retail — she was tied to moving to cities within the company where openings existed. If we had wanted to move to, say, Seattle, we couldn’t until Cari could get a similar job in her company. No freedom in that.
But I can do web development and SEO for anyone, anywhere. And Cari can get her real estate license in any state. And the kids aren’t tied into a school system just yet. In the little quiet time I had over the holiday, I actually gave serious thought to the idea of moving. Maybe to Pennsylvania to be near my family. Or California to be near Cari’s mom and dad. (Then I shuddered at the memory of the cost of living in California….) Or somewhere else……
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