The Best Time - Or Not?

As I sat on my fourth flight of the year, feeling a bit tired from my hectic work life and travel schedule, I skimmed an article on happiness. A blurb on the side caught my eye. It said people's happiness decreases throughout their twenties, thirties, and forties until in their mid-fifties it generally improves. In fact retirees were reported to be the happiest. It makes sense; I suppose - freed from the burdens and responsibilities of work, family, and too often balancing family with work, I can see how life would become less stressful.

But man - that made me depressed to think I am only at the beginning of what is going to become more and more stressful years ahead. Then again, life is often what you make of it and how you perceive things as much as it is reality.

On the one hand, right now I am enjoying investing in my own professional growth with really no constraints. The downside is I work lots. Then again I am able to spend fun time with family and friends in DC, around the country, and the world. The downside is I am not really grounded in one community. Since my work is on a national level, but I am beginning to think I would like to focus on one community, that has been sort of nagging at me lately. But then there are so many opportunities when you work in so many communities and with so many cool people... and again the downside - but also the upside - is the frequent travel to these places to meet people and learn.

So as I sit in another hotel I can't decide if this is the best time of my life - traveling, learning, growing, and pretty much just being responsible for myself - or not. Would I rather be grounded in one community, with a less intense job, and more time with family & friends? Maybe I could have a dog, a predictable schedule, and a regular yoga class if that was the case. Would I be content with that? Then again I love exploring new cities, curling up alone in these hotel rooms, rushing to catch a flight, managing my work and life on my tiny laptop, and meeting new people.

I don't know; none of these trade offs has simple answers. I am reminded of something my aunt said once, that the best parts of life are not certain years or months but rather different moments all along the continuum of life. I guess that's where I will wrap up tonight, on a thoughtful moment along its continuum.