If Time Wasn’t a Factor

I’m a dreamer by nature.

I was born that way, I guess.

Even when I was little, I was constantly envisioning myself living somewhere else…somewhere far away. Exploring the world, experiencing life and all that it had to offer. Traveling from place to place. Learning new languages, eating exotic foods, exposing myself to culture and diversity.

A lot of people in my life don’t realize that about me. That I spent most of my time as a teenager dreaming of everywhere except where I was.

Now that I’m more than happily married with a son that I adore, my dreams have changed a bit.

I would still love to travel. Learn new languages, etc. We are experiencing different cultures thanks to the lifestyle we get to live as a military family.  I’ve got my fingers crossed that someday, after the husband has finished PA School, we can live overseas for a while. London, Paris, Italy…what a unique and life changing experience that could be for our children.

But now days, I just dream of more time.

If time wasn’t a factor…

I’d finish one of the several novels that I’ve started on and submit it to an agent for review.

But since I don’t have time, those novels (all three of them) sit in little file folders on my desktop; just waiting for the day that I have a chance to sit down and finish exploring the stories and the places that I’ve created in my head on my screen.

If time wasn’t a factor…

I would spend all day snuggled up on the couch, under a blanket, reading stories to my sons and drinking coffee.

But since I don’t have time, I snuggle on the couch only on occasion, drink my coffee at my desk, and read with Little Man sitting in my lap pointing at the photos while I share the words with him.

If time wasn’t a factor…

I’d chase down all of these BIG business ideas that I have regarding graphic design. New areas to explore, new possibilities, new ways to share what I love with everyone who is interested.

But since I don’t have the time, I keep these ideas in notebooks and on post-its scattered here and there; just waiting for the day when I can squeeze in a few minutes to start piecing together these new ventures.

If time wasn’t a factor…

I’d spend all day with my camera and a handful of willing models who’d let me photograph them over and over again. Models who’d be willing to try new things in new places and let me just be creative and emulate some of the photos that I see on Pinterest that I adore or create new images that I’ve dreamed up after being inspired by some of the best photographers out there.

But since I don’t have the time, I just keep pinning these ideas and praying that when the weather clears up here in Kodiak and we get more than a few hours of sunlight a day (and the temperature is above 30 degrees) that I can go out and one at a time, shoot some great sessions.

If time wasn’t a factor…

I’d play on Facebook and catch up with my girlfriends day in and day out. I miss so much when I’m working all day every day. I’d love to sit and just chat over coffee and a danish of some kind.

But, since I don’t have the time, I catch snippets of Facebook updates, twitter streams and blog posts. They work for now.

If time wasn’t a factor…

I’d lay in bed all day with my husband and just relax. Share dreams with each other like we used to (and still do, though these days they are mostly in passing or late at night when Little Man has finally settled down and gone to sleep. We’d plot out our next big adventure or vacation, talk about all of the things we’d do if we won the lottery.

But, since we don’t have time, we snuggle up at night (both exhausted) exchange a kiss and an I love you before drifting off to sleep. We eat our meals together and share our day at a decibel loud enough to be heard over the TV and the constant chatter from our three year old. We adore each other. And we both know it. Even if we don’t always have time to show it.

If time wasn’t a factor…

I’d probably keep writing about what I’d do with more time.

But since I don’t have time, that’s all you get for now.

What would you do if time wasn’t a factor in your life?

Linking up today with Shell @ Things I Can’t Say for Pour Your Heart Out.