I just left my kid at her college two days ago. In a dorm with two nice girls from the bay area. I mean they seem nice. But the dorm hallway wall also had an informative graphic about how much alcohol a red solo cup holds. This is the time of letting them make their own choices with your fingers crossed.

These days, when kids are applying for college, they are frequently applying for 6 or 7 schools. Everyone seems frantic to get in to a school, and  they seem to think this means apply for as many as possible. But then they have to choose one. Which is very hard. And that is why my youngest was able to get in off of the wait list and get into the school she wanted. Because someone decided not to choose that school. And despite being accepted into several other schools, she really only wanted to choose from two in the end.

Isn’t that what we all really like sometimes?

Too many choices ain’t all its cracked up to be. I mean, a five page restaurant menu isn’t always better than one page. I don’t want a wine book, just a wine list. I don’t want 21 flavors actually, I want like 5. Otherwise, sometimes I just can’t decide what to do next. This happens to my husband and I a lot. We are like those two vultures from The Jungle Book. What do you want to eat for dinner? I dunno, what do you want? We could get sushi? No I don’t feel like it. How about Thai food? No. Pizza? Oh no, I’m sick of pizza.

Too many people running for a political office, and you end up with Arnold as the Govenator or Trump, right?

I can’t take the overchoice. And I am not the only one:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overchoice

Lately, as I plan whatever it is I am going to next with My Life, I have a million ideas. Twenty different paths. I just watched a documentary on people who work in Antarctica. Did you know that was a choice? Now you do. Along with volunteering for an NGO, Peace Corp, Travel Nursing, Teaching in Asia….You can do anything, but instead you just scroll through pinterest thinking about what you could be doing.

I mean, it’s not all that I do, but yeah.

In order to force myself to do something, I bought some plane tickets. In 2107, I have two trips to Europe scheduled. One is 7 days and the other is an entire month. I got them cheap, basically two trips with airfare costing me about $1100 for both. I figured there is no time like now. Before I get settled on a job, or a path, or something. And now I am locked in. Can’t back out now.

Trip # 1

Belgrade, Budapest, and Vienna in the Winter

Trip #2

Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Italy, and Switzerland in May

If you are thinking I am just procrastinating, then you are correct. I finish school in December. I am going to Europe twice. Then I’ll figure it out. Right?