Plan B

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A few weeks ago I was at a friends’ house and we were discussing plan Bs. What happens if you lose your job or something big happens and you have to start over? Going over my plan B in painstaking details is one of my favourite hobbies, but the conversation got me thinking, now that baby makes three did I have to review my plan Bs?

1.       The Revolution

A few years ago I read a book called The Americano about an ordinary, slightly boring American man that moved to Cuba during the revolution and fought along side Che and Castro. In his American life, he was unremarkable, unsuccessful and unremembered but in Cuba he rose through the ranks and became admired and respected. Despite the fact that he met a less than ideal end (firing quad) I am undeterred, going into the jungle and fighting along side “the people” in some Spanish speaking country seemed right up my alley. I am fairly confident that Kayan would transition nicely from our apartment in the Westend to the heat and humidity of South America. He likes the outdoors and prefers to spend all day in his carrier which of course would be a required as we outrun and outwit the government. My bigger problem with this fantasy is that currently there are no revolutions going on in countries I am keen on visiting. I require sun, a beach, cheap rum and preferably singsong Spanish to entice me into combat.

2.       Into the Wild

I spent my early years in a house that my Dad built with no indoor plumbing or electricity so I always view this plan B as a return to my roots. Sure there are inconveniences eg no Starbucks or sushi places but am sure that the satisfaction that I would have from crafting everything myself and living off the land would eventually  squash my need for the term "venti".  Kayan would be homeschooled which would be slightly problematic for him as he would gain a good understanding of what led to the break up of the Beattles but never learn algebra. However I think there is a good argument for why one is more relevant than the other.

3.     

S  Swiss Family Robinson

Ok, so maybe I don’t really want to be ship wrecked but I would love to move down to South America and run a little B & B. This has been a daydream of mine for years and on a weekly basis i scan the real estate section for plots of land or little houses for sale. Investigating the political situation in different countries and reading up on their foreign ownership laws is a daily ritual for me. Occasionally I wonder how I would find the time to cook and clean for my guests when right now I sometimes struggle to do that just for the three of us  but am sure it would come in time. Kayan would make friends with the local children, and maybe he would be like the kids I saw in Brasil who knew how to surf by the time they were three or four. This is the one that makes me the most excited for him because whenever i see kids in South America they always seem so free. It feels more like how I grew up without the constant wave of scheduled activities, car pools and obsessive toy collecting that seem to fill most children’s days now. 

It is possible that if any of these plan Bs came to fruition  that i would be daydreaming of my current life while  hiding in the jungle or while making me own butter in candle light. I would think about taking Kayan for walks around the seawall, or the way just steps from my door I can experience a variety of world cuisine. I would think about the night runs over the Burrard street bridge when the city seems so peaceful or the Friday nights when it seems less so.  Everything I have now would seem like a pretty great plan B .