The Path Not Taken

For a bit now, we have been contemplating a new opportunity.  I always thought that once the opportunity came we'd know exactly what to do - run for the border of Mouseland and never look back.  However, this opportunity comes with a condition that has made us pause in our mad dash to leave.  The new opportunity would require us to move every few years - sometimes nationally and sometimes internationally.  We would have limited input in the locations and some of the potential locations are still "developing".   For Hubby and me, the idea of paid travel every few years sounds like a fun adventure, but it's not just us.  Taking this opportunity means that our children would have to move a lot.  When we inquired about stayng in one location for six years so the kids could start and finish high school in one place (btw - six years because they are two years apart, not because they will need six years to graduate), the answer was resoundingly negative.  We could probably have four years, but not six.

We have tried making the list of positive and negative aspects.  While this opportunity would definately be interesting and challenging, the financial benefits are not any greater then our current situation.  And while we might find living in a developing nation interesting, I don't think our children will see it the same way, especially when they will settle in only to have to start over every two to four years.  And how will I feel when the education choices for them are "limited"?  I think we know the right answer for us and our family, but sacrificing an interesting path doesn't come easy when we have been looking to leave here for so long.  Sometimes I hate being a grown up.

p.s.  Thanks for the encouragement.  After I wrote this, I went for a run and on the last hill (well, the only hill really - afterall this is Florida!) the song "You Can't Always Get What You Want" came on my ipod.  I just had to laugh.  While I love the Rolling Stone version of the song, my new favorite is the Glee version of it.