A Simpler Life

Eric is looking forward to a simpler life. He believes our year in Ecuador will be life-altering. We will be moving to Quito with a suitcase each, without expecting to accumulate much. I agree with Eric when he makes his pronouncements about our alternative lifestyle, but I truly know nothing about living quietly and simply. I have been waiting to slow down for years now, and I continue to wait. I convince myself to let things go, and I make efforts to streamline my schedule, but my time is quickly filled up with other activities and responsibilities., and I am running running running.

I look forward to having less junk. It is stunning to see what I have managed to accumulate in the seven years we have lived in our house. I remember getting rid of more than half of my belongings when we moved from Salt Lake. I loved the spareness of every room in our new home, and I recall telling myself that I wanted to keep from filling up every space. Somehow my resolve did not last, and every room filled up. I am delighted again with the rooms that are empty. I am resolved again to keep my new spaces spare and light and open.

Eric has expressed concern that I will become unhinged if I am not working. I have no idea what my life will be without work as the foundation. I have a place to go every day. There is always a purpose to my existence. I take care of patients, and then I come home and take care of my children and my husband and my dog and the fish and the house. I wake up at 6:30 and fall into bed exhausted after midnight.

I look forward to sleeping more, NOT having a schedule, having time to read, explore a new city, pursuing projects and interests, perfecting my Spanish, meeting new people, trying new recipes, learning about Adobe Photoshop, playing with Maya, talking to Tara without doing three or four other tasks at the same time, writing letters, keeping a diary...the list goes on and on. I imagine that I will have the time to do all the things I never have time for. I expect to enjoy my new life so much that I will be unable to return to my former (current) life. I anticipate feeling free.