Daydreaming

On Friday night, Ben took me out for my birthday. It was such a fun night, and great to get away for a couple of hours. While we were out, we actually got a chance to talk about grown-up issues. We were jokingly talking about looking for a new job out-of-state that would pay
enough for Ben to stay at home. Well, somehow the joking became somewhat serious. And I've spent all my free time this week thinking about the possibility. In fact, I've even spent some time looking at possible jobs out of the state.

It would be sad to leave our families. Other than my brother, my entire immediate family lives within 45 minutes of us - on both my side and Ben's. We do depend on them very much. But at the same time, it sounds exciting to move somewhere new and different. I moved 6 times as
a child, and I loved being in new places.

I suppose I'm a bit of a romantic. I have visions of us living somewhere remote - and somewhere with trees and mountains (or at least big hills). Somewhere quaint, with character, where there are lots of opportunities for outdoor recreation. But it also needs to be somewhere small enough that we could survive with just one car - and also somewhere with a cost of living low enough to live on just one income.

So, on Sunday when I started my "just for fun" job search, the first job that caught my eye was one in Ithaca working in facilities planning for a certain prestigious University. I even found a house that I want - on over 15 wooded acres. That would definitely fulfill my requirements of living somewhere remote, surrounded by trees.

Since then, I've found 3 other jobs that I am very much interested in. The first is in Montana, working for Flathead County - home to Glacier National Park. I know it would be cold and snowy there, but I actually like the cold and snow - a fact which drove me to search in Alaska.

I took a trip to Alaska just after college, and I've loved it since. I found 2 jobs in Alaska too that I think I'll apply for. One is in Juneau, and while it would be beautiful, I don't know if I could live
there. The housing market looks pretty bleak - most of the homes were listed with photos showing the view from the porch instead of the home itself. Also, there are only 45 paved miles of roads in Juneau, and the city can only be reached by air or water. That may just be a bit too
remote. Although I may apply anyway, just for fun. I also found one working for the county just north of Anchorage, in Palmer, a town where I have actually stayed. Its a larger town located very close to civilization, yet still remote enough to fulfill my requirements. The job pays well, which would be an added bonus. I've already checked out real estate there - its very affordable. I've even figured out where the church buildings are. I think I'll apply for that job too. What
could it hurt.