Geesh, sorry about the typos and lack of punctuation. Ever notice when you get finished a really long post you're so tired that your proofreading is complete crap?

Thanks Toni. It should be fun with everyone chipping in to help me come up with creative ideas. By the way, Newcastle is on my to see list.

Dave, I've read that one good way to get yourself out of a funk is to get out of your head. Meaning stop focusing on yourself and your problems and help someone else. It looks like you're doing a good job with this and your Mister Good Guy site. I also try to look at things like yesterday's earthquake and remember how fortunate I am. I think opening your eyes, really opening your eyes and paying attention to just the little everyday things in life make you appreciate it so much more. Last night I watched a film called "Helen" starring Ashley Judd. She plays a woman suffering from severe clinical depression. Now that's a funk!

I'm trying to do that Marla and trying to think about others and how fortunate I am.

I think I'm with you here Lisa. I have had such a hard time blogging about my UK trip because it literally brings tears to my eyes thinking about it and how much I want to be there permanently. I don't feel that I'm running away from something to be there. I'm not under any illusion that England will solve all of my ills, it's just where I really want to be and where I really think I belong. I feel like I'm running to something and not from it. But I have to live with the fact that I may never be able to live there again, it might not work out, so I have to come up with another plan. The way to deal with that disappointment is to find the next best thing, even if that just means a lot of travel or more trips to England.

When I think about what I would like to change more than anything I would like to have more friends. Other than that I'm pretty happy with my life so like you I don't look as travel as escapism but as an enhancement to my life. I wonder if we couldn't interpret Seth here in a more strict sense. Maybe he is talking about our work life here. You know how some people are so miserable in their jobs they spend all day dreaming of their next vacation to get them through. Maybe what Seth is saying is it's time to find out what your passion is and do it, or at least stop working a job you hate so much and find something you enjoy more. Dunno.

You go girl!

Not to mention Marla, what if we all had as many kids as possible? What would happen to the human race? The earth would be so over populated we would not be able to survive or we would destroy the earth in the mean time. If they want use religion as an excuse, God also gives us free will (or at least that's what they tell me.) There are other ways of practicing birth control that don't include taking the pill. Last I knew the bible doesn't say anything about condoms or the sponge or the I.U.D.

I agree with you Michelle and as I say, I wouldn't be able to consider making such changes if Ian wasn't grown, with one foot out the door. If you are living this lifestyle when you have children, that's different. You can raise them in your practice but thrusting it on teenagers would be a fate worse than death.

Ha,ha! Hi Elizabeth, thanks for following me over to another part of the blogosphere Sis.

It's amazing how much stuff we can accumulate yet still feel empty. My home tends to lean more to a minimalist style anyway. I don't like clutter; it stresses me out. Probably my OCD. LOL! So I have been slowly creeping in this direction as I've gotten older and now that it will be just two of us soon, there's nothing holding me back from being more serious about it. More than anything I hate being a slave to the money required to maintain the traditional American lifestyle. For me true freedom is being able to go where I want and do what I want because I don't have any debts or obligations holding me back. Now, if we could only get universal healthcare!