The Plan

Well, "plan" is definitely an overstatement. The Idea would be more accurate.

The Idea was that we should take some time out of our busy lives to spend some time together, as a family. Lauren can add her perspective, but from my point of view, in this day and age it is so easy to loose sight of a family that active steps need to be taken to restore a more healthy balance.

I'm sure you know the story: A typical day...
 - Up for morning madness. Hysterics about what to wear or eat, or why someone is wearing their food. Lunches to make, homework to find (hopefully), bikes to get ready. Bags to pack. Logistics to plan...
 - Leave the house (late) between 8 and 8:30am just as the madness reaches fever pitch to head for the relative sanity of work.
 - Work. I have a great job, and I enjoy it, but it takes mental energy (and biking 17km there and 17km back again takes physical energy). If I'm lucky I'm at work by 9am, and frequently I'm not lucky. This means that I don't leave work before 6pm. Often closer to 7pm.
 - Home between 7 and 8pm. Kids in their death-throws or already asleep. Lauren knackered by the evening ruckus. Me knackered.
 - Re-heat dinner. Conversation consists of "what shall we watch?".
 - Fall asleep on the couch watching TV.
 - Rinse and repeat.

In the weekends it is a variation involving kids birthday parties or play-dates and me with yacht racing (or, more recently, boat maintenance). Same outcome generally in terms of family life.

Is it a wonder you occasionally wake up wondering who you are and who are all these strangers in the house? Sad, sad, sad and in need of intervention.

So, many would argue that what is required is a slight adjustment, a tweek to the routine here, a re-prioritisation there and some sustainable compromise could be reached. Perhaps. And maybe one day it will be.

However The Idea is different. The Idea is turn this all on its head. The Idea is to let's try putting family first for a year, all of us, and see what we can make of it. Who are we now? And what do we like doing together? Hopefully it isn't too late to find out what each of us is about and perhaps try doing some of that positive role-modelling, value instilling, stuff as well. That would be a fine thing.

OK, so one year full time won't magically make up for years of neglect, however hopefully it will be a damn good start. Something to build on. A way to figure out what really is important to us as a family, and how to build that in to our more sustainable lives. That is the hope.

The rest is details.

1.  I managed to accumulate some leave and long service leave at work (and have a very understanding employer who will let me go for a year).
2. We have a boat (a yacht) which could just about accomodate us for a year and is capable of moving from one beautiful spot to another.
3. We have a house we can rent out to help deal with the mortgage.
4. We have children at an understanding primary school which sees the big picture. They are at a good age to go and learn something of the wider world (oh yeah, and Lauren is a school teacher, so has the skills to help keep them up with their peers in the key standard curriculum areas).

Now, apply just a little logic, and you soon end up with a plan which involves taking the family, getting on the boat in the Victorian summer and migrating up the East coast of Australia with the comfortable weather, and migrating back again in time for the following summer.

There you are, The Idea just became The Plan. That is just about all there is to it. Clearly there remain important details to be filled out, but as we get to those, we'll let you know...

Just practicing!