the joys of domestication

a part of me feels like I'm betraying the liberated sisters of my generation by saying this, but I kindof love just being a housewife.

the second week of school is nearly gone, and we are finally starting to settle into a routine. a routine of Husband going to work everyday, and me staying home. the first few days were an adjustment, to be sure. that helpless what-do-I-do-with-myself feeling crept in on me. because let's be honest, I'm used to being the "breadwinner".  I'm used to having a thousand things to do at once and being drained by the end of the workday, only to come home and face a mountain of cleaning and cooking and dirty laundry that neither myself nor Husband have the energy or desire to tackle.

but that was life in New Jersey. life in Taiwan... totally different.

Husband works, I don't. though I should mention that Husband works now at a school where he only sees 90 students a day [compared to 190] and teaches 2-5 periods a day [instead of 6 every day] and his commute is only a 2 minute walk [versus 30 miles in route 1 traffic]. so when I say he works, I mean he actually has the time and resources to put into his work and is therefore not slaving away until midnight at home each night. he comes home and is just... home.

my "job" now is being a housewife. and I've started to discover some strange things about myself. somehow, laundry becomes almost enjoyable when it's just one load a day. methodically arranging it to dry on the rack appeals to that OCD part of me that likes everything neat. it becomes part of the routine. like washing dishes. washing dishes- by hand - I have even grown to savor. turn on some tunes, just start scrubbing and dancing.

before, even with a dishwasher, I hated cleaning the kitchen. despised it.

but now... I want to clean the kitchen because I want to have a clean house. and I actually have time to do it. I used to dread doing these things because they were just something I HAD to do. and now something as simple as hanging up sheets to dry on the line outside can be a small joy. making the bed in the the morning just makes the whole day feel more organized. arranging the dishes perfectly so they the dry and don't fall over is kindof like a zen-jenga moment for me.

and if washing dishes by hand every day means my manicures don't last as long... oh please, twist my arm and give me an excuse to paint my nails more often.

the other day I scooted to Costco, all on my own. and while I was there I bought cleaning wipes. and I was strangely excited to use them. so much that after I wiped down the kitchen, I decided to to the bathroom as well. and after I wiped off the counter, I decided to reorganize it. and at that point... you may as well clean the toilet and swipe the floors and do it right.

that got me thinking about what else I could organize... I have these mason jars left from spaghetti sauce and I've been trying to think of a way to use them. I also needed a way to store my nailpolish. I kindof love the way they look, but I'm not sure they're entirely practical. I might use my polish too often to want to dump the jars out each time I have to find a color. [plus that glass-on-glass noise makes me nervous]

the other bonus to being a housewife? I have time for me. coffee and blog reading in the morning. sometimes a run or circuits or a boxing class at the gym. and then those glorious few hours in the late afternoon where I can sit and create. write. paint. read. photograph. anything. now that I don't have the stress of work, I can finally relax. I haven't had any major this-is-what-I-should-do-with-my-life epiphanies. but it just feels good to embrace the potential.

I fully admit that in a few weeks it's possible the honeymoon will wear off and I'll be itching to start tutoring, or subbing, or to find a consulting gig. but for now, I'm content to live in the moment and enjoy my newly domesticated lifestyle.