Creative Writing Challenge #6: A Dialogue With The Rational Part of My Mind
"Look, it's not like I don't know this is nuts--"
"I'm glad you know it. Admitting you have a problem is the first step."
"But what if we moved to Hungary?"
"And you correctly identified the problem. That is nuts."
"What if we came home, told the kids that in two years we were moving, and did everything we needed to to be able to go."
"We have a house here. With a mortgage."
"What if we rented it? We could rent it. The rental market is hot right now. I'm pretty sure we could pay the whole thing every month out of rent."
"You're actually considering this insanity, aren't you? This isn't some thought exercise."
"Well, yeah. I am."
"What are you supposed to do for money? Your Hungarian is pretty good, for an American, but I don't think it's up to a full-time job against people that can actually talk to one another."
"What if I put more time into the online teaching? It already pays a little. Online teaching could happen any time, from anywhere."
"That's only part of it. It's a pittance. We couldn't even starve slowly on that."
"For now. But what about over a couple years? What if I also pushed the writing forward? A couple years ago I wasn't making anything from writing, and now look where we are."
"It's still not enough by itself."
"What if the book takes off? It could, you know. The promo effort is going to be solid. It has a good chance of selling. We don't have to be in the US to cash the checks."
"The kids are never going to go for this. You can't get them to change schools, let alone countries."
"What if they did? What if we showed them the possibilities of being world travelers? Colleges love that kind of thing. What if they got really excited about it? Would you do it then?"
"Family. We get together with family every month, and you love that. You don't actually think we're going to commute halfway across the world for birthday dinners, do you?"
"What if we did it once a quarter? We could probably afford that. It wouldn't be the same, no, but what if it was better? Think of the stories we'd have to tell. Think of all the good we could do in Hungary. Think of the amazing life we would have."
"With tiny washing machines and no dryers. In a country where I don't speak the language. Strange food. Not a soul in the country that's family. Uprooting everyone and everything to go off halfway around the world. You're not nuts. You're clinically, diagnosably insane."
"The wifi is 500mbs for half what we're paying for 25mbs."
"I've always thought the US was overrated. What kind of place could we buy?"
you're no longer one--you're two, or four, but knowing you, you're probably seven. Don't do it--it's not fair to the majority of your family. Simple and basic. ...and unlike Lucy, I don't even charge a nickel
Ten, actually. Twelve with the two daughters-in-law. That's definitely part of the mix.
The logic is simple.
If you never do it, you'll have pretty much the same life as now.
If you do it, you'll have done more than most people do in their lifetimes.
I'd do it, personally. Fear is just a way of holding yourself back when you're comfortable.
I'm thinking about it. Thing is: I adore the life I have now. Love it to bits. So we have a great life now, and it's going to be hard to convince my wife, let alone myself, that we should uproot it and move halfway across the world. But the conversation will be had, that's for sure.
Yes, These are all about our daily life differ from the places. Thanks @cristof
The fast wifi would certainly make the online teaching easier. So I guess in a few years you'll be joining me more regularly on a European time schedule?
That's a conversation with my mind. When I have the convo with my wife's mind, I'll let you know.