Now bring me prisoner 24601
Your time is up
And your parole’s begun
You know what that means.
Yes, it means I’m free. (Les Miserables)
After almost 50 years in shackles, I gained my freedom when I retired 14 months ago. I’m not saying that I didn’t enjoy my career but the bottom line is that I spent those years doing what I needed to do, not what I wanted to do. Unlike those fortunate enough to turn their avocations into well-paid careers, I evolved into a business administrator spending my days solving technical and personnel issues, budgeting, writing, interacting with the public, etc. while my heart and mind were yearning to travel, daydream, read and create.
In anticipation of my freedom I purchased a 17-foot Casita travel trailer and a Kia Sorrento to tow it. Over the next several months I learned how to hook it up, drive it and set it up at camp sites by myself. I have driven cross country (north to south)and camped solo – not bad for a scaredy cat 60-something woman who always thought camping meant staying at a cheap motel, who’s afraid of the dark and worms.
I want every day for the rest of my life to contain at least one adventure to share on my blog … planning a trip, trying a new recipe or a new product, solving a problem, or sharing a new book. I want to encourage other women to break through their comfort levels, step out of their boxes, overcome their fears, declare their independence and, most importantly, fulfill their dreams.
It’s not easy to do whatever you want after a lifetime of fulfilling the needs of everyone else as a mother, a wife, a daughter, a sister, an employee, a grandmother, a friend; to release some of those responsibilities and begin living a few of your own dreams. Feels kind of selfish at first but I recovered quickly.
Now that I’m unrestrained, unchained, unrestricted it’s hard to prioritize all the things I want to do. I’ve taken a yoga class, Zumba, traveled to New Orleans, visited Ruby Falls and the Chickamauga battle field. I’ve investigated an old cemetery with my brother, camped in Key West by myself, sewn quilts and crocheted afghans, taken a 1200 mile road trip with my sister, and probably read over 90 books in the past 14 months. I’ve painted part of my lanai, removed the old fans and light fixtures and will begin working on the cracks in the pool deck so I can renovate with bright Mexican colors. I’ve started an eBay business, continued my long-arm quilting business and, of course, started blogging.
Indulgent and selfish? You bet! And I want to share it all on this blog. I’m looking forward to participating in Word Press’ “Blogging 101”.
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As we all know, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions and I intend to live a healthier lifestyle by riding my bike for any errand within a 3-mile radius of my home. Today was the first day of the rest of my life (do you like my aphorisms?) with a 3-mile ride to return library books and pick up a few audio books for my car trip next week. Mission accomplished in 40 minutes, including 10 minutes to choose my audio books.
Wander Woman 