So what do you DO all day, anyway?

I've had a few people ask me this and I scoff. I scoff because they can't actually fathom filling up an entire day without an out-of-the-house job. I understand; I used to think the same thing. I promise you I don't just sit around drinking wine and watching Netflix everyday.

I only do that when I have some free time, which I try to carve into my days, but sometimes doesn't happen.

Here is a "typical" day, Monday - Friday. I say "typical" because those times are only loosely adhered to, as it often depends on when hubby gets up and moving around, and how long he's stuck in the office. Or if I get done earlier or later with these tasks.

8:00-9:00: Get up, make breakfast, lunch for hubby, put dishes away
9:00-10:30: Blog entry/Internet news/research short-term or weekend trips and events
10:30-11:15: House cleaning item for the day (alternating between kitchen, living room, dining room, guest bed/bath, master bedroom, master bathroom, office, hall/stairs, trash/recycling)
11:15-12:15: Workout (essential for the heavy diet in this country)
12:15-1:00: Shower, start laundry (laundry takes forever)
1:00-2:00: Lunch break
2:00-3:00: Rosetta Stone/German workbook
3:00-6:00: Grocery shopping/misc. paperwork for hubby/budget planning/trip planning/meal planning/continue laundry
6:00-8:00: Prepare, eat, cleanup dinner/kitchen

I'm also hoping to add a few more things into the mix, like time to try out new recipes, read books, and I don't know, just learn new stuff. Or indulge in a guilty pleasure. Like a nap.

For those of you who think that it would be easy and you'd have all the time in the world to do everything you want if you didn't have a job or worked from home, think again. It takes a lot of self-discipline that not everyone can deal with - and some days are better than others. Nobody is here to bark orders at me, it's just me. It's also strange to think that you can do ANYTHING YOU WANT. Anything is so very vague, so all-encompassing that at times it's overwhelming to have the freedom. You have to somehow pull yourself out of the notion that this can be a cushy life if you want it to be, because this is not permanent.

I don't want to get behind in missing all the things I loved doing while working at a law firm. I want to keep advancing and learning and knowing what is happening around me so that when I get back, I can have a better chance at picking back up. That's why I have routines to do things and try not to let the comfy beds and couch call out to me mid-afternoon.

I don't mention any of this to say that it's easier or harder than having an outside job. Just a different kind of job. It has all the makings of what I used to have: big and small picture tasks, tons of planning and budgeting, needing to be flexible to changing conditions, creating process improvements, and delegating tasks (i.e. "honey, can you please be in charge of making X today?") to my team member.

I am absolutely thankful for this time in my life where I don't have to commute an hour each way to work and to make myself lunch each day. And I'm going to take advantage of that by not wasting my time. I'm in freaking Germany and I love that I get to do all this hausfrau stuff here.

My goal is to rock whatever I'm doing and right now, this is what I'm rocking.