The Great Job? OR The Holy Grail?

Today was the second day this week I've taken a call from the school nurse during a business lunch. As a single mom, I know these days will happen -- and I'm lucky they're so infrequent – but I never seem to handle them with quite the grace and calm I would like. My boss is unfailingly understanding, yet I still feel badly leaving the office with work undone. And I dread the inevitable late night ahead -- catching up on all the emails and documents that I didn't get to this afternoon, interspersed with monitoring fevers and dosing medicine.

So when I sat down to finish up my work tonight, there it was, right on my website: 10 Great Jobs for Midlife Women, complete with this line: "...it offers the fluidity -- working remotely, flexible hours -- and the pay that so many midlife women want. Sit in a wireless cafe in Rome, defending your client from IRS aggression at $400 an hour? It's not impossible..." Sign me up! I'm there. I always wanted to live in Rome.

Of course, the problem is I'm not remotely qualified to be a Tax Expert, but Online Professor is appealing to a seasoned geek such as myself. And, really, how cool is it that there are women out there actually doing all these jobs? I’m probably not quitting next week to become the Chief Environmental Officer for Meredith Corporation, but I’m genuinely inspired by these stories of women who are living enviable lifestyles while also pursuing fulfilling careers. Maybe that work/life balance Holy Grail just might be attainable.

Plus, the kids won’t get the flu in Rome, right?