BellaOnline Forums Relationships Married No Kids Dreams you can achieve since you dont have kids

Nope you are not alone! As for the pressure, sorry but good luck.

I am able to go away for a month to become certifed as a Raw Vegan Chef.

Am able to attend college full-time and study anthropology, study abroad in Ghana for a year and obtain a double Master degrees in Library Science and Museum Studies.

Live in a foreign country, at least part time. Have not figured out which country yet.

I can do my spiritual practices for a couple of hours a day thereby freeing myself from so much earthly angst and actually becoming happy, whole and free in this lifetime.

I got layed off in November and have not had to return to work. I have worked since I was 17 and to actually afford to be able to be away from work for five months is indeed a dream come true. If I had a child I would have had to rush back to work.

The ability to live a fairly comfortable lifestyle although I will never make a large salary in my field.

Planning to take a 5 month trip around the world after I have spent sufficient time saving money at current job.

Occassionally lounging away the entire weekend if I want--sleeping, reading, doing home spa treatments!!!

Truly enjoying children when I spend time with them because I am CHOOSING to rather than OBLIGATED to!

I think your last comment about not having to "rush back to work" is key. I have had my hours reduced at work and although it's stressful I know I will be able to adjust to it. I can't imagine the strain families go through when something like this happens.

Not having kids has allowed us to buy a vacation home ( being built as we speak)in Arizona and plan to spend as much time down there as we want.

BTW ~ retired recently. If we had chose to have kids this would not be happening, ya know.

AWESOME...........

Alot of families are under a large amount of strain in this economic crisis. I talk to friends and everyone is afraid. They can't understand how I can be so upbeat that I'm unemployed and losing my condo. I hated the job and the mortgage was killing me, so now I can live the life I truly want to and being childfree makes it all possible.

Jellyfish, your accounts give me chills...the GOOD kind. I feel like I'm in a movie sequence where you are running from the monster and you drop into a black hole that turns out to be, well, paradise!

Btw, i was with a good friend this weekend. Her daughter is probably the best thing that ever happened to her. However, I have to admit that she was talking about her plans after she finishes school and I thought to myself, oh my gosh, she has to take the kid with her!! I laugh because externally I've really got the maternal thing on lock...I'm most likely to babysit/entertain any kid under the age of 18 at a family event. But I also have dreams every other year or so about unintentionally abandoning some adolescent relative in bath water. I should keep these things to myself! (Don't worry folks.. I really am OK.. dreams are just really really funny and if you listen, they will teach you something)

travel, working part time in a field i love, sleeping in, private yoga lessons, reading, meditation, cooking with my husband, coming home to a quiet, peaceful environment, being able to participate in silent worship...silently. (I'm a aquaker and members who are parents often have to leave the meeting because their kids are too noisy..lol, massages monthly, not being a slave to a child's schedule, NOT driving a minivan...haha.

I like the flexibility in my life. If I want to go see a movie, I can. If I prefer just to sit and read, I can do that too. I can go out with friends at a moment's notice. At work I can easily fill in or go to another location without having to rearrange family schedules - makes me a bit of an asset!