Life is Like a Rollercoaster

Sometimes it's a wild ride. You're speeding along, the wind in your hair, and life is exhilarating.

Sometimes it's a grind. You're standing in line for hours, just waiting to get on board. The sun is beating down, sweat runs down your back, your feet hurt, and your kids are whining.

Sometimes it's terrifying. You feel completely out of control. You're flipped upside-down, you're jerked around, spun in circles, and the next thing you know, you're puking in the bushes.

If you're like me--a control freak--then this roller coaster business is particularly upsetting.

When my oldest daughter went off to college, I wasn't sad or freaked out. I still had another daughter at home, and since they're 4 years apart, the younger one was only just starting high school. I wasn't old back then, either. I wasn't even 50! Life was grand.

But last week, my youngest left for college. My baby.

I should have been prepared. After all, I've been through this before. But I had no idea how different it would be the second time around.

And even though the oldest is technically living at home now--not that anyone would know it as she is almost never physically present--my nest still feels very empty.

It doesn't help that our house is really too large for four people. With only two of us around, my husband and I each have about ten rooms to ourselves. We have to hunt for each other if we want to have a conversation. But we have nothing to talk about since our children are gone.

What is the answer, you ask? How do I solve this dilemma? Should we sell our house? Move to Tahiti? Rent out rooms on AirBnB? Learn to play Mahjong? Take up fly fishing? All of the above?

Hold that thought. I will have the solution for you shortly...