things to try

One week into unemployment. Last week I joined my boyfriend for a trip to see his family in Virginia. It was such a pleasure to take that trip, smack dab in the middle of the week, to spend long afternoons strolling the beautiful countryside where his family lives instead of sitting through another painfully boring meeting in which a dozen topics of no interest or use were discussed ad nauseam.

Nope. I'm not missing my old job too much these days.

I know these unoccupied, unscheduled days won't last forever, so I'm trying to make good use of the time while I've got it. I've started a list titled "Things to Try" and I'm having a lot of fun adding new items to it. It's not a list of "Things to DO," mind you. At this point a long list of things I had to do would feel restrictive and slavish. No, this list contains "suggested activities." This list is a polite garçon standing at my elbow saying, "Perhaps the lady would like to email Jane now about having lunch together next week?"

It is just so satisfying to make lists. But with this list, I don't need to feel any guilt if I don't cross off one of the elements of the list. It is a list about possibilities.

Here are a few items on the list:

• Paint a wall?
• Photostroll to middle Georgia
• Go visit Sheila and Atticus
• Register for some Dance 101 classes
  
• Clean out coat closet
• Have a Flickr pin show?
• Dinner party for building?
  

I have been staying busy with the list, and already crossed several items off the list. That feels good. (My first Dance 101 class is tonight!)