Of home and other places
It has been a bit of a slow day today, which is nice after some long days and late nights. I cleaned the bathroom and toilet and my wife made a blueberry pie. Exciting stuff.
We also had her nephew drop by with his girlfriend as while yesterday was his graduation, today is the real big day - they are both moving out of home and in together.
Do you remember leaving home?
I do but I think my move to Finland was more dramatic then that. I remember my first rental apartment which was a 32m2 studio built in the 60s. There was stars cut out of similar colored wallpaper to cover the holes in the walls left from previous tenants and I took a plate, a knife and a fork from work to eat off. I had a party there with 60+ people one night.
Good times.
It is amazing how little a young person can live off and still find enough money to smoke and drink. I haven't smoked for years and hardly drink now but if I did, I don't think I could afford it. Priorities have changed.
It is also interesting that if my wife and I lived as if we were students now, we could save a massive amount of money, even though she is not working currently. It wouldn't be "seemly" though for an adult couple with a kid to live that way. Why expand as earnings increase?
Funny. As we get older we are expected to increase our consumer habits as a sign of maturity. Buy more to prove we have managed to succeed at adulting without considering whether that is an indicator at all.
But, I wouldn't mind some nice things, some creature comforts now and again. One day I keep telling myself. I have been telling myself that for a very long time.
I come from a no frills family and while food was always on the table, there was little else. I remember from a very young age thinking about being better with my finances than my parents and knowing now I have failed more often than not.
It is okay. I don't have a bad life in comparison to many in this world and, there is food on the table now, although it has been touch and go in the not too distant past sometimes. The work load I am currently doing ensures that at least for now, bills will be covered and we can even enjoy the odd outing. We don't buy much but when we do we generally do something rather than have something.
Someone asked me yesterday if I will go back to Australia to live but, I can't afford it I think. I would have to start from scratch and build a career in a very short time and, my wife is unlikely to get a position in her field. That is all things remaining equal though. Who knows what would happen and be possible 5 years from now if this crypto scam turns into something big.
When I came to Finland I had nothing but a bag of clothes with me and I have managed to build a family, a small business and a home of sorts. It hasn't been an easy journey, starting from scratch is hard but almost 16 years later, I am getting there.
16 years? Is it a long time? It doesn't feel that long and I can still remember the drunken nights out with friends. 16 years from now and my daughter will be the age of the couple who moved in together today. I wonder if she will realize the opportunities she has available to get or, while she let them pass her by as I did. That life is hers to live of course.
My plan is to have her covered so she can take some risks in her life and have a good chance at following her dreams and passions. I know that for me, while things are okay, I would have likely had a better chance of content work of I didn't have to take jobs that were unsuitable just to cover living costs. I hope the work she chooses is able to be more meaningful to get when she does it and has the capacity to recognize when it is time to change and be able to without having to feel she must stay to make ends meet.
I think this is a big part of adding revenue streams for me, and especially the more passive ones I am trying to build for later, as they are able to support transition and mobility. And who knows, maybe a move to Australia one day to see if we can build another kind of life from scratch.
Economic availability is about having options and I am hoping that one day, the options can be considered without mention of money at all.
One day.
Taraz
[ a Steem original ]
(posted after giving a young couple a table, carpet and blueberry pie for their first home.)
I don't remember of having read the tale. Maybe you've not written it yet. But I'm now wondering...
How the heck a hot blood young beast from Australia came to arrive to the conclusion to want to go to freeze his ass in Finland? ;p
Perhaps one day I will tell the story. The move wasn't so drama-filled to begin with, but there are a few tales between.
Have you linked your Steem account with Snax yet? It has been paying out pretty well in the last few days. If this thing will start having some value, then we all will have created a solid additional revenue stream for ourselves.
Posted using Partiko Android
I did but had to get them to nlink it as I couldn't get into the wallet. Thanks for the reminder that I have to do it again :)
I can remember arriving in the UK with enough to cover one months rent and I had two kids in tow. Scary yet exciting and not knowing with a young family isn't great. If you had a choice though would you guys go to Australia to live?
I was lucky it was just me so failure was not so bad. I have no idea, I just know that I don't want to go bak and struggle for another 16 years to get to a zero point, nor do I want to burden anyone in the process.
Greetings @tarazkp seems unreal but when you are young we flow more easily in the economy, perhaps because we do not think much about it. But when there are children it is more difficult, well let's hope that the cryptocurrency boom continues its path and they manage to stabilize this moribund economy...
Be nice if at least more people get large benefits from it at a high enough level that lves can be changed, maybe even communities of lives.
I see the same goals my friend! My time is passed to dream of that but I can still leverage what I have and can get for mu child to have those options! All we can hope is that they appreciate it and make the best of it for passion and happiness (not money ironically).
Posted using Partiko iOS
It is good to have to think about money, but not if it becomes consuming so that other things get passes by. I feel that too many of us are have to worry about making end meet that we can never move on to other things to expand experience. Some, no matter how much one has are unable to move on. scarcity mindset or something.
People being forced to take jobs just to “work for a living” is one of the things I absolutely loathe about the current economic model. I hope whoever came up with the idea of “working for a living” died alone.
I think your plan is pretty sound. That seems to have been my parents’ plan with me and my sister and I’m sure we’ve sailed past some amazing opportunities either in ignorant bliss or from simply not considering possibilities, but things have eventually worked out well for both if us (though as far as individual success goes I’m not sure if one can say the same for me as for my sister 🤣).
Small will probably be doing stuff that doesn’t even exist now so we’ll just have to all try to work together to make the world she’s growing up in better for her and all the kids.
Posted using Partiko iOS
lol :D
Can't take them all though. Part of the game of choice I guess.
This is my hope. I don't want her to be doing the same as me at least :)
No.
Because I haven't left yet. Lol.
But when I do, it'll be because I have good reason to do so. Right now it doesn't make much sense because I'm able to work and save a lot of money by living with my dad. The goal is to reach a point where I can move and live somewhere without ever needing to enter "survival mode".
Blueberry pie genuinely is exciting, btw, I'm sure.
Posted using Partiko Android
:D this made me laugh. It won't be long though mate.
She does make a decent blueberry pie.
Kind of a Steemit reference, though I said in on a serious note :D
In many recipes they say to put one portion of quark or sourcream as the filling. My secret is to put one portion of both and then more blueberries (or bilberries) than on the recipe. Tell your wife that this tip came from the guy who ate that huge burger in front of her eyes. She must believe it's a good one.