Dreamweaver

I think one of the main reasons Dominic and I work so well together is because we’re both big-time dreamers. Whether we actually go through with all of them, some of them or none of them is left to be determined. My dreams seem to be more of the life-changing variety, where his dreams are more of the hobby-making variety. Somehow I think I took one of my old dreams and made it work with one of his current dreams and now we both can’t stop talking about it.

Basically, I’m back on the B&B kick. I figured what a perfect way to combine a bunch of things we love.

I love:
-Telling people all the things there are to do in Seattle, especially free things
-Having a garden (for the produce) that would make the breakfast
-Cooking (although I’m much healthier than Dominic – which is sometimes code for bland, but it’s definitely code for I don’t use salt)
-Baking
-Playing maid (just no vacuuming or ironing – I can’t iron to save my life)

Dominic loves:
-Cooking
-Talking to people
-Watching Julia Child cook
-Creating off-the-cuff recipes (I’m more of a recipe girl)

So obviously he would do the breakfast, and I would do the sheets, tend to the garden, bake yummy things so the house smells like cookies and leave coupons or post ideas on a bulletin board for things to do in Seattle.

There are, of course, big disadvantages/advantages to running a B&B.

Dislikes:
-For awhile we’d have to live with these people and I like my privacy/turn the music on real loud at night
-Early mornings and late nights, for late check-ins
-No vacations
-No security
-Taking out loans after I just finished paying off everything

Likes:
-We could write off the house we would buy
-If we ever had downtime, we could potentially keep freelancing
-I could have a bigger garden, and possibly chickens!!
-No more bosses!!
-I wouldn’t have to stare at a computer all the live, long day

That last reason, is probably my biggest reason for bringing this idea back to life. I’m getting a bit tired of looking at this machine all day. When I come home, I end up looking at it too. It’s becoming too much for me. I got into Advertising to be creative and come up with cool ideas. I didn’t go into Advertising to look at a screen and go to lots of meetings. I know that no job is perfect, and I totally understood before choosing this career that with this job I would have to go to meetings and be in front of a computer and it's by no means horrible. But after 7 years I'm feeling the need for change. I definitely like my job more than I hate it. But as my eyes start to blur, even as I type this – I worry if it’s taking over me. I love the days when I get home from work, Dominic and I eat dinner together at the dining room table and then we go on a bike ride, or I tend to the garden or I cook until I’m reminded it’s way past my bedtime. Or when we went to Mexico and neither of us mentioned our jobs at all - throughout the whole trip.

I know starting a B&B is a huge risk to our paychecks, a big responsibility and so much work our heads will spin. But like I said before, it’s all talk and no action at this point, but it’s a fun idea nonetheless and if anything it's something else to talk about at the dining room table.