Road Trips!

I like where I am in life at the moment. No real responsibilities, no one to really answer to, no diehard obligations. I’ve spent too many years worrying about the future, planning for it, and spending time either working or doing the responsible thing. At this stage in my life, I’m just trying to enjoy every minute of it.

I know I’m not even close to seeing all that Madison has to offer, but I’m pretty sure I’ve seen a huge chunk of it. I’ve already picked out my favorite hang-out spot (The Union Terrace and no, I can never get tired of that place!), coffee shop (Barriques by the Capital) and best restaurant (Vientienne off of State). I know there’s plenty of places left to explore, but I don’t want to tire of it so fast. I want to be able to have the enthusiasm and the love of the city for as long as possible.

One of my favorite things to do is get out of town, even if it’s just for a night or weekend. Since Madison has some but certainly not all of the things I’m looking for from a city (not just the number of people, but the diversity in people- and I don't just mean in terms of race and ethnicity, and places besides Denny's and Perkins that are open until 4 in the morning) I’m so glad that it’s close enough to places like Chicago and Minneapolis for me to escape and grow as a person. I’ve been back in Madison for almost a year, and I’ve spent less than ten weekends here in town. It’s not because I don’t enjoy weekend life in Madison, but because I simply like to explore cities and meet new people and cultures.

Being able to pack up my bags one weekend, leave, come back, unpack, work during the week, and then pack up again to go somewhere else keeps me going. I feel like I’ve found the work-life balance that works for me.