Should I Stay or Should I Go?

The time has come for me to start facing the harsh reality that my husband is leaving me. It's true. Come the end of March, I'll be a single dog-mama. The good news (I guess?) is, he'll be back in a year. His company has offered him a promotion of sorts: move to the armpit of Wyoming, build us a couple senior living facilities, and we'll put you on the fast track to the top when you come back. Our reaction: You got a deal!

Honestly, when I first got word of the proposition, I was excited! I would quit my job, pack up my family and embark on what was sure to be a memorable adventure if nothing else. Do I wish his company would have transferred us to a beach in Maui instead? Sure, but as the saying goes, "You get what you get and you don't throw a fit" (I used to be a preschool teacher and this little gem of a saying worked wonders on 3 year olds). And plus, I'd finally get the chance to be a stay-at-home wife like I've always wanted!

After Keane and I began discussing the logistics of what hickville life would look like, I discovered that he wasn't as fond of the whole stay-at-home wife idea as I was. He told me that in order for us to continue saving money, it was necessary that I worked. After several valiant attempts at making him feel sorry for me ('How am I supposed to find a proper job in a town that doesn't even have a TJ Maxx?!' 'Who would take the dogs for walks if we are both working full time?! They really should have one parent who stays home with them and it's obviously not going to be you'), I conceded and agreed that I should get a job if only for the sole purpose of keeping me occupied in the tiny town.

Just as I thought I had everything planned out, I got an unexpected and very handsome raise at my current job. The news of this, although wonderfully exciting, caused us to go back to the drawing board and rethink what was most logical to do in the upcoming months. Since Keane's job will be paying for all his living expenses while he's in WY, we figured we should try to get out of our current lease, I should move in with friends or family and continue working at my stellar paying job, and we should pocket all of the extra cash for a down payment on a house. This all sounds very good on paper, but we are forgetting one thing. I am a woman. Which means I am made of mushy emotions. Which means that being away from my handsome husband for 6 months to a year would be inevitably heinous for everyone involved.

So...we find ourselves at one of life's difficult crossroads. Should I Stay or Should I go? ::Insert obnoxious lyrics to The Clash song here::

 To be continued...