I read a post written by Kerri at Travel Junkies and at the end of her post she posed the question, “What do you want to do before you die?” I answered, “I want to live free of obligations.” It’s a big want, but I’m thinking it can be done. It just takes a little ingenuity, a lot of planning and enough time to get all of our ducks in a row. Where did that saying come from, anyway?! As if we really go through life lining up ducks?!
It’s true, I want to live the next chapter of my life free of obligations and I mean that in the most positive way possible. It’s not like I want to let go of obligations that are near and dear to my heart, you know – husband, son, BFF’s, them I’ll keep; but that’s a no-brainer because I don’t think of them as obligations, they are the joy in my life. Free of obligations, by my definition, is not having to be somewhere or do something because I’m obligated to do so. We’ve worked really hard all of our lives and as a result we’ve lived a great life together, with no regrets, but I’m about ready to let it all go. When the time presents itself for us to leave our life as innkeepers, I want to live in 24/7 freedom mode. I suppose it could also be defined as retirement, but since we never stay still for very long I don’t think that word is the right fit for us. For me, an obligation-free life equates to blowing with the wind, following the sun and seeing the world… One Road at a Time, or just hanging out for the pure relaxing joy of it.
So after I answered Kerri’s question, I started to think about what I would do with my new-found life free of obligations and I’m working on a top 25 list; the top 25 things I want to do/see/experience before I die. That sounds a little maudlin, but you know what I mean. I guess you could call it my bucket list.
So, #1 is an obligation-free life. #2. I want to visit Italy, for at least a couple of months because I want to settle somewhere, for a period of time, where I (we) can learn to cook “real” Italian food. I want to learn to make pasta from scratch, real marinara sauce, ciabatta bread, olives, mouth-watering melty cheese pizza and my all-time favorite, spaghetti carbonara. Last year we met someone who told us they had spent time in a small Italian village where the owners of the inn, at which they stayed, also taught cooking classes at the inn. Yes! That’s got my name all over it!
Pasta Cabonara. My absolute favorite Italian meal! Photo credit: InspiredTaste.net
And if that quaint inn, with the cooking classes, just happens to be in Positano, well then that would be just about perfect!
Positano, Italy – Breathtaking! Photo credit: en.wikipedia.org
Stay tuned for #3 on my list, but in the meantime… what do you want to do before you die?
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When is this happening? We need to catch up with you in northern Oregon before you head to Italy for your new life 😉 Or, you can just stop in Philadelphia on your way. Actually, there are direct flights from Philly to Rome. Our airport is one of US Airways’ (a/k/a soon to morph into American) international hubs. So, maybe visiting Philadelphia could make it onto your list 😉
I want to visit the Galapagos before it goes the way of Machu Picchu — i.e. over run by tourists. It’s probably already too late and I have a heluva nerve because what would we be—but tourists.
Before we find our way to Italy, we will have to give up our lives as Innkeepers and move from Southern Oregon to the Washington, D.C. area – so there is time – and we will definitely connect. I actually do want to visit Philadelphia as I love me some U.S. history. And don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone in the Galapagos that you’re a tourist – secret is safe with me!
Great question, ideally I want to have made the world better somehow (sorry if that sounds cheesy!), I would also love to keep learning more about where we go; really take things in. The learning to cook Italian sounds good too as that would suit Amy perfectly!
Making a difference in the world is definitely a worthy item on the list. As a retired school teacher, I like to believe I can check that one off of the list, having made a difference in some of the lives of my students. Not to say there isn’t room for more, I often think about teaching/volunteering at some point, somewhere. Thanks for reading, Andrew!
I don’t like to use the word “retirement” either. It conjures up images of a different kind of life than appeals to me. Now, anyway. 🙂 It’s certainly a big question you’ve asked here and one that is tough to answer. Your #2 Italy has certainly been on my list and I’m finally going there in June. Wish it could be for a couple of months, but I’m happy just to be going! Looking forward to seeing the rest of your list.
At some point we’ll have to slow down and “retire” in the true sense of the word, but we’re going to delay it for as long as our minds and bodies keep up with us! And I really believe that the more active we stay, the longer we can put it off. Thanks for reading, Cathy!
I want to do something big, something that tests my mental and physical strength to limits I never believed possible for myself. I want to learn to play drums, speak Spanish and Italian and to compete to win something with Makai. Live obligation free and visit Italy again too:)
You’ve got a great list Tracy! Play the drums, uh? That’s awesome! I’m envious that you’ve been to Italy, I really look forward to checking that off of my list after a good long visit. Thanks for reading!
Today I am waving goodbye to our newly graduated youngest daughter who is off to Chicago to start her first full time job, I am feeling both the positive and negatives of an obligation free life. Mothering is never truly finished, but I am as done as I am ever going to get.
And truly sad.
My first thought is to go buy another dog, but my husband says the two we have are enough. “Cat?” I asked.
“Absolutely not”, he responded, most emphatically.
Yes, I am going to write. Yes, I am going to go to the gym. I better if I am going to try your Italian food.
Yes, I am going to travel. I think the idea of staying someplace a few months is a good one. Bouncing around the world is hard work.
Now if I can just find a way to un-obligate my workaholic hubby. Linda
Ah, but that’s the loophole about an obligation free life… spouses and kids are not obligations because they are a part of who we are. But, with that being said, welcome to the empty-nester club, your options are endless and we will work on the work-a-holic hubby! We’ll help him see the light! Thanks for reading, Linda.
Great Post! To live without obligation really resonants with me. I am someone who is always thinking of the other person first and near the top of my list. However, on the top of my list is I want to learn a new language (besides english) that goes beyond the niceties so that I can carry an in-depth conversation with someone to really learn about them.
That’s a good one as well Kerri, to communicate in another language is a gift. I wish I had paid better attention those two years of high school Spanish, but it was an awfully long time ago! Ha! Ha! Thanks so much for reading and for generating the idea to get my brain working!
I want to eat a dish of Pasta Cabonara. That looks absolutely delicious. I think you should learn how to make it, and I’ll test it out for you 🙂
You got it Will, it’s a deal! I’ll make you a bowl of pasta and you take me out on the river! Thanks so much for reading!