Personality or Problem?

I've been thinking. (A dangerous pastime, I know.)* I have sensed in my spirit in the last few weeks the call for adventure. I love adventure. Of the two of us, I am almost always the one suggesting a trip, an outing, a stay at Huntington, etc. So when I heard the news that my cousin is getting married in North Carolina at the end of the summer, I thought, "Great! We've never been to North Carolina!" Obviously, since Ian's a teacher, time off during the summer isn't an issue for us, and we have just recently accrued enough points on our JetBlue credit card for a two free flights. In my mind, we were set!

So I excitedly broached the subject with Ian, who, Lord love him, was the more practical and realistic one, mentioning the five hour flight - twice in the span of a few days. He said he didn't think we were ready to take Ruthie on a plane for that long.

I was disappointed, but willing to let it go, since I trust Ian's leadership for our family. But right away, I was planning another adventure. (Mind you, we are already going to Mexico for a week in July with my family and to our place in Huntington in August with just our little McCurry family.) We had always talked of wanting to go to San Francisco, since the two of us have never been there together. Short flight, right? And Ian has an uncle who lives in SF, so maybe we could stay with him. If not, my former co-worker, who now works at the Queen Mary, said he could get me a friends and family rate for their sister hotel in Union Square. Perfect!

So Ian and I talked about that option, and I am happy to report he is open to discussion.

But the process did get me thinking. Is it a good thing that I long for adventure? Is it a natural part of my personality, a positive thing even, since it creates good memories for my family? Or is it a sign of being too much of a consumer, always looking for the next best thing, always trying to drum up excitement? Or could it be something (in my mind) even more alarming - the desire to be interesting, to have stories to tell, something to talk about? Now that I'm a stay at home mom, I go less places, do less interesting things. And on the whole, that's okay. Actually, it's more than okay, because I LOVE being home with Ruthie. But I still long for adventure and it's got me thinking about whether that's just my personality or if it's a problem in my spirit, something I need to examine as I seek to be content with the simplicity and humility of my life. No answers yet, just questions. But good ones, I think.

*Ten points for anyone who knows that song lyric reference.