My 'Next Big Thing'. . . . .

So here it is, the Big Plan that is helping me keep my sanity as I continue to work a mind-blowing 65+ hours a week between my four jobs. Well, first here's a hint:



Have you guessed? Not yet? Well, how about this:



Okay, that one was a little silly. So how about THIS:



Yes, you've guessed it! Paris! 'Uh, but what about Paris', you ask? 'You live in the Pacific Northwest, and Paris, France is roughly 6,000 miles away. Also, have you forgotten that you owe $90,000 to the U.S. government and to CitiMortgage?'

Yes, I do know all of that. But I need some kind of incentive to work like a maniac for the next year or two, and what better reward than Paris to keep a girl's eye on the prize?

Several months ago, my best girlfriend, whom I've known since I was six years old, called to see if I wanted to celebrate her birthday with her in Paris. In Spring 2011. I knew that my financial goals wouldn't be met by then (not to mention I had no idea where I would be working and in what capacity) so I told her that Spring 2012 might be a possibility, given that I wanted to have money in savings for the trip (no credit! I've traveled before, and even studied abroad years ago, and came home with nasty credit card bills).

Then, not weeks later a coworker mentioned that she wanted to spend next summer in Paris with a friend. Which started me thinking: Why should I limit myself? Why shouldn't I start living my dreams, once I've gotten rid of the heavy weight of $90,000 in student loan and second mortgage debt? Yes, I'll go to Paris for ten days in Spring 2012 to celebrate my friend's birthday. But what if I started thinking about how I could relocate to Paris, a city I love? I studied abroad in France many years ago, still speak 'un peu' (a little) French, and in reading back over my old travel and study abroad journals, I actually wrote about how much I loved the city and wished I could study there (this was never feasible, unfortunately, given my lack of funding and the requirements of my program).

Perhaps this is just a pipe dream, something that will help me justify the sacrifices I'm making now. Maybe it's a very extreme reaction to the sometimes plodding, nose-to-the grindstone life I'll be living until my debt is repaid. And I know there are people out there thinking that I've lost my everlasting mind. Then again, I've always been a 'planner', I've always looked to the future and matched my actions to my objectives, and this new goal just might be the thing that helps me keep my momentum on this last, long leg of the journey towards frugality, financial independence, and debt-free living.