The Future

Since in a few weeks I will begin the last year of school (!!!!!!), it seems fitting to write a post about our future. Of course, I don't really know what will happen in the future, but I think that it is alright to dream. We do a lot of dreaming...

Short term:

We're hoping that Matthew will find a job first, and then I can apply for a number of jobs wherever he finds work. With the sluggish economy, he may have to take whatever job he gets for now. Currently, I think I'd really like teaching at a community college or perhaps a university. If I can't find work there, I might do private tutoring or perhaps apply for subbing jobs in the public schools for a start. We'd like to stay in the valley in Oregon, but we'll see what we can do.

Long term:

Currently, we'd like to come back to Corvallis (though perhaps avoid the college area!). We love the community, our church, and the proximity to family and friends. However, Corvallis currently has few companies of interest for Matthew. If not Corvallis, then we would like to aim for Eugene/Springfield.

Matthew is really interested in the fields of sustainable energy, alternative transportation, or green buildings (for example, making buildings meeting LEED's standards). I personally am excited about the areas he wants to work in, and I hope that this can happen. I have the feeling that I'll spend a lot of my life doing different types of teaching, however at some point in the future, we'd like to have kids. I had a stay-at-home mom, and I want to provide the same strong support-system to my kids if at all possible. I think that being a mom will be a challenging, significant, and rewarding job for the years I have it. Fortunately, education jobs can be somewhat flexible, so I might be able to do some teaching when the kids reach school years.

Another big dream of ours is to build a house. Matthew has all sorts of ideas to make it a net-zero energy home. We want to build with sustainable, chemical-free materials to create a healthy, happy space. (Fun fact: I really want to have my kitchen painted a deep purple! Since I want to spend a fair amount of time cooking good, wholesome food for my family, it'd be nice to have such a welcoming color around me.) Along with this home, I really want to grow a lot of our produce from a garden in our yard. It would be hard work, but I think I'd enjoy it. I also want to plant a flower garden with the goal of planting a lot of native plants so that we don't have to use much water. We want two cats, and I'd like to have a few laying hens pecking their way around the backyard.

It will always be important for us to be involved with people. We'd love to have a church like we have now. We love being with a small community of people involved in the community and each other's lives. Also, I want to have the type of home where my kids' friends feel welcome and loved. I have also considered taking in foster kids since I feel like it would be wonderful to spill love, blessings, hope, and good on people who might not have gotten it in their own homes. We'll see...

In general, I think that we are going to feel rich by wanting little and giving and loving much. I experience joy now with my basil garden, cooking good food, line-drying laundry (among other energy saving things), and many other activities. It just seems like this could multiply with a full garden, having more time to cook, having a house designed to be healthy, etc. Regardless, by finding joy in love and living simply, I think that we will be happy whether or not all of our dreams come true.