They say it's the way life should be.

I often think of the way life could be.

...and then I'm reminded of the way life is.

2 weeks in Maine with my family taught me a lot...mostly about myself.  

There's a narrative that I continue to play over and over in my head. One that shows a scene...shot from above...of a simpler life. Less hustle. Less financial commitments. Less 'noise'. 

I think about it often. I'm thinking about it now as I type these words...on my second day back to work, fully taking on the life that I lead prior to vacation.

I guess I'm no different than anyone else out there. I hoped for something to happen during those 2 weeks. A magical email. A winning lottery ticket. To somehow be discovered.  Anything....something...that would lessen the load.

But the days came and went...and none of those things happened.

The sun rose and set. The tides ebbed and flowed. The bugs found sweet nectar in my veins. The kids whined...then laughed...then cried.

At home, the financial holes that I've dug remain. The hustle continues. And life goes on...at a pace that cares very little about whether I can keep up.

It's so easy to fall back into the routine.

The simple life that I envision may not be so simple after all...

...but it damn well isn't going to happen if I expect it to fall in my lap.

It's time...

Dirigo.