If you’re anything like me… your career isn’t going to make you rich and unless you marry a rich man, you are going to fall into the unfortunate middle class. Too much money to get support from the state, yet too little money to really afford everything. If you get married and have kids, sure you’ll love them(hopefully) but you will fall into the routine of the middle class family. Just struggling to get by, having to explain to your daughter that Santa can’t bring everything she wants in reality you didn’t have enough to buy everything. Taking out a second mortgage to go on a family vacation…etc. All the money things aside, your life becomes a routine of getting your kids ready for school, going to work, coming home tired wanting to relax, having to get dinner, make lunches, clean up, and help with homework. Some people may look forward to this, but if you’re like me you can’t imagine spending the rest of your life in that routine.
You don’t have to have a family, it just seems to be the thing you HAVE to do. People think they will be lonely cat ladies if they don’t have kids or get married. But, here are 10 things you can do with your life instead of have a family that don’t suck
TRAVEL- Take advantage of the wonderful world around us and explore everything and if you’ve seen it all… do it again!
Before I started traveling, I thought it would be so difficult, expensive, and time consuming. None of that is true if you do it the right way. If you’re lucky, you can find a career that pays you to travel either with paid vacations, conferences, or doing something that you actually travel for a living like a flight attendant, travel blogger/photographer, or fitness instructor on a cruise ship. Travel is truly the most enriching experience ever that even if you do it alone, you won’t care. So whether it’s promoting health in Africa, surfing in Portugal, or eating tapas in Spain…just do it.
Take up a new HOBBY- not something small, something crazy you would never typically do.
You must constantly keep learning, growing, and stimulating your mind. Do you want to learn 5 languages? (or maybe just 1) Go for it! Want to start a small business? Healthy food truck, old fashioned diner, hair salon? Follow your passion. Once people have families they start to lose time for themselves and don’t have time to do their hair let alone start a new hobby.
Play with kids of friends or family, and then give them BACK.
Don’t get me wrong, kids can be so cute…especially toddlers. You can learn a lot from them too because they have such a new and imaginative soul that doesn’t have a clue about the realities of the world. BUT there are many, many other factors that make me not want my own. Still like kids though? Babysit for a friend, play with a family member’s kid at a party, and then give them back.
Date around or don’t date at all- it’s your choice.
Not getting married doesn’t mean you have to be lonely, even though if you’re like me… you don’t feel lonely being single. You can date whoever you want, have serious relationships, flings, a lifelong partner, or just stay SINGLE. Sometimes having a husband/wife or even a boyfriend/girlfriend can be like having a child. You have to clean up after them, remind them of everything, care for them, etc. I know that isn’t always the case, but many people fall into that. You can be free to explore yourself, your interests in others, and not be tied to an “agreement” that gets broken so much anyways.
Pee in PEACE or anything else you like doing alone.
When you have a kid, you relinquish all of your peace of doing anything alone, ESPECIALLY if you are a single parent. Have to use the bathroom? Your baby or toddler will most likely be in there with you. Want to run down the street to the store? This would usually take ten minutes but you can’t leave the little one alone. Get them ready to go, get them in the car, etc…it’s a timely process. This concept of peace applies when you have older children too, even teenagers, or a husband. Think about it, someone is always going to have a question, problem, or just be bored and come running to you.
Get a dog- or another animal of YOUR choice.
A dog is the closest thing you’ll get to having a child. They are a lot of responsibility, but they are also manageable…especially after the puppy stage. If you’re living alone, a dog is the perfect companion and often times better listeners than a significant other. Not a dog person? Get a cat, fish, pony… whatever your heart desires.
Dance around your house naked eating pizza or binge watch a season on Netflix!
Because WHY NOT?!
Actually do something you “PINNED” for later on Pinterest.
Admit it, we are all guilty of pinning so many cool things on Pinterest and never looking at them again. From a DIY, to redecorating your kitchen, to a killer AB workout… try new things and actually do the things you pin.
Sleep all day on the weekend if you really want to.
Sleeping in isn’t something you can do when you have kids. When they get up, you get up… at least until they are able to make breakfast for themselves; but then you have the young teens who need a ride to practice or a friend’s house. So, you’re looking at a solid 17 years before you can sleep in, but even your older teen is waking you up because you forgot to sign something for his senior trip. It really goes on and on. Even if you don’t have kids, a husband or wife will wake you up with snoring, kicking, or their alarm. With freedom, you can sleep as long as you want.
Volunteer.
When your time isn’t constantly devoted to a family, you can devote your free time to people in need. This could be as simple to volunteering at a soup kitchen, helping with a committee in your town, or spending two years in the Peace Corps. You have the time, and helping people is a very rewarding experience.
This list could keep going, but it’s better if you determine what’s important to you. What would you do with your life instead of having a family? Maybe getting married and having kids is what you’re destined to do, and that’s okay. Personally, I couldn’t imagine seeing my life go by without having the full opportunity to experience everything and anything but to also be lazy and have “me” time as often as I want. Life is what you make it, so make it fabulous.
(Previously posted on morganliftsandtravels.blog.com)