Yearning for Adventure

In my quest to become the type of person I admire, I have made some changes in my life. One of the motivations of my career change was to become one of those career changers - I have admired them, and now I am one!

Near the end of my 30s I realized how few places I have been in the world. I admire those young people who put off their careers in order to travel. I admire people who speak more than one language. I want to be like them and I made the resolution to do it. This is one reason why I started to learn Spanish on my own. I figured I was getting older anyway. Might as well learn something and be a little smarter at 48 than I was at 38....

The trip to Japan in October is a result of this desire to become more experienced in international travel. I have only rarely been in a place where I was totally different, where the culture and the environment is so very different. I think it will be good for me to experience some culture shock. See other ways to live.

Once I did go to Israel with a church group. I was eager to get away from the safety of the tour group (when possible) and try to get around on my own. I did. In the market place of Jerusalem, in the old city, the vendors shouted out to me in German. Not English....until I muttered "no, thank you." Then their trinkets cost one dollar, not ein deutchmark.

I am a free woman. I don't have my own family to tie me down. My job is terrific but not something I feel compelled to keep at all costs. I have a house and pets, and I enjoy my activities in my community. Yet, I am free. My friendships are fluid, not binding. My family of origin is not dependent on me. I am not a caregiver (except professionally). No one needs me. I am healthy, and I do have some money.

So why don't I exploit my situation?

I don't know. Why don't I?

A coworker brought to my attention the lifestyle of being a travel nurse to the middle east. Saudi Arabia, to be precise. The pay is outrageous, the money is not taxed in the kingdom, and the lifestyle is supported (housing, transportation, etc.). There's 7 weeks of vacation a year, when I could visit Europe or Africa. There's an active expat community living in specialized housing to insulate me from the middle eastern culture when I would want it.

This coworker is thinking seriously about doing it - she is a free woman as well. How fun it would be to go with her and have a year-long adventure half way around the world, and be much richer in many ways for doing it.

To be honest, the idea has interested me. Could I do it? Would I do it?

Fear keeps me from really thinking about it seriously. I mean, there's so much to arrange. Who will take care of my dear pets? What about the house? My car? My job? What about my parents?

Fear is a lousy excuse. My husband could probably get work there, himself, being in the computer field. And he said that he could be talked into it.

I wonder...