So today I'm taking a page away from
MommaRake and
Miss Mommy. These brave women laid some very honest information at our feet, and I admire them greatly for doing so. It inspired me to write this very post where I too will attempt to come forward with something that weighs heavy on my mind from time to time.
So, how does that proverb go? "The grass is always greener on the other side." You have all heard this before, every single one of you. But what does it mean really? In a nutshell, it means that a person is not content with what they have or the situation they are in, assuming that someone else has it better off. That their "grass" is greener and better that what you have in some aspect.
What am I getting at?
So many people tell me, "I wish I had your life." My family, my friends, and complete strangers who butt in on conversations.
I find it flattering and I understand why people say it, but people rarely LISTEN to my side of the story. All they hear is, "Dan and I went to Rome for 3 days," or "I went to Berlin and did a bike tour last weekend." They tend to miss the fact that we only had 3 consecutive days together over 9 months, so that is why we were able to go to Rome... or that Berlin was a one day trip, not an extravagant holiday, where we spent 6 hours in the car in a single day. People hear what they want to hear, and are intrigued by the life of someone who is an expat in another country. I get it... I too admire many people like
C'est Chrsitine and other travel bloggers who lead exciting and unpredictable lives.
But that green friggin' grass just looks so good... for us too!!
"I wish I had your life Erica....." Well you know what, I love my life __________, but I wish I had yours sometimes!
I wish:
...I lived in the same town as my Mom and dad
...That I could call my Mom every single day and meet my Dad for lunch at Saint Mary's between his classes
... I could see my Grandparents more
...I had a house or apartment to call our own
...I could use beautiful gifts I got from my wedding instead of packing them in boxes for years
... I could have my dog with me all the time
...I were close to my best friends so we could meet up spontaneously, go out to dinners, and have big nights on the town and celebrate holidays.
...I didn't feel like everyone forgot about me because I'm not around
...I didn't have to write letters to my friends. I LOVE and CHERISH my pen pals, but how cool would it be to meet for coffee face to face instead?
... People made more of an effort to keep in touch with me
... I were closer to home because I feel like life in the US is passing me by, and soon, I will have no part in it.
That damn grass.... It always eats away at everyone because it is in our nature to NOT be content. If you let this kind of negative thinking break your spirit down, you will never be happy. Yes, I have hard days here where I'm alone in a foreign country, live on Skype, and don't leave the house because it's -22F. However, those feelings melt away the moment my husband returns from his road trip, walks in the door and kisses my forehead.
In all aspects of life, you need to be positive and focus on your goals and ambitions, and less about the things that bring you down. As for me, I can't change that I live in Europe (I don't want to), but I can write my friends letters and emails to show them that they are important to me and on my mind.
I can't live in the USA... that's alright, I live in Melbourne, voted best city in the world to live. I'll take it!!! I don't have Mom and Dad there, but I will cherish every single second I have with them in Europe this Christmas and California next summer.
I LOVE my life!!! Ya, it's unpredictable and bizarre, a lot like me. If you jotted a bunch of stranger's lives on paper and threw them into a bowl, I would pick mine every time, without a doubt...
