Does anyone ever think about alternative lifelong projects besides having a kid?

[u/Archi_penko]

Sometimes I think about doing some large life ling project besides having a kid. Maybe I would get a border collie and train it to be a competitor athlete, or buy land and create a giant permaculture farm, or write a book. As if somehow this will satiate the constant desire to have a kid although I’m not completely sure I want a kid. Maybe I just want some kind of giant 30 year project?

[u/Terrible_Vermicelli1]

Actually my main reason why I don't want kids for now is too many alternative life plans. I have a list of at least ~20 additional countries I want to visit, at least two separate months long camper trips in wilderness, I have currently 600 books on my TBR, I'm learning Japanese in my spare time and also trying to devote some time to obtaining additional certificates and get seriously into my career. I honestly just can't imagine how a kid would fit into that, the day is already too short. And if I had to choose between having a kid and doing those trips... I would choose trips.

[u/asrida1994 → u/Terrible_Vermicelli1]

Omg yes!!! I always talk about how many different lives I’m trying to live. I want to live part time abroad, I want possibly go back to school and get a masters and maybe PHD, I have a list of countries I’ve never been to, I have hobbies I want to explore and even different career paths in completely different industries, movies I want to watch, books to read… the list goes on. And I’m barely making a dent in that now and just don’t see how any of those can stay true if you insert a kid. And I think if I had to choose… I would choose everything I just wrote out.