Dichotomy

Lately my life has been defined by seemingly extreme opposites. A dichotomy. I feel two sides pulling, and I don't necessarily want to give either one up. But that's an issue for another day. Another day, another deep post. But today is Wednesday, and I'm going to do a Wednesday weekend update because it's my blog and I do what I want. And because I've been thinking about this dichotomy a lot lately, and nothing better expresses it than the insanity that was this weekend.  Part of me really likes being a grad student. Really likes being young and 20something and giggling with her girlfriends and drinking way, way too many shots. Really likes overhearing drunk girls crying on the corner because their boyfriend asked to borrow their blanket and "it's a shawl, damn it!"

And part of me really likes being a grown up(ish)...thing. After a night on the town Saturday, M and I did a total 180 and went from 20somethings to 40somethings. Just kidding. But you get the point. We picked up his daughter and headed over for family lunch. I just....loved it. I loved all the kids running around and the way there was no schedule. With my family, everything is on a schedule--when are we playing, when are we eating, when are the kids having down time. And there was no schedule. The kids played soccer and they ran around and the whole family gathered in the living room to watch them play Just Dance. They'd pick a song and the mom would go, Oh I just love watching them do this song. And I couldn't help but think how sweet that she even knows that. That she knows which songs are her favorite--because clearly she's watched a lot. And I'd look over and see one of the kids had crawled like a monkey up onto his dad's shoulders and they were both just sitting there, watching the dances. I absolutely adore families who are so content to just be together. They don't have to have a plan.  After dancing and lunching and plenty of coloring and hair braiding, we left. We dropped the dear off with her mom and headed home. I cleaned, he watched TV. We ordered pizza. I fell asleep in a ball on the couch 20 minutes into the movie. It was so perfectly normal. It was like a sweet breath of fresh air, saying "Don't worry. Papers and tests and the uncertainty of "what job next?" will end. And when it does end....you get this. Family. Love. Routine. Normalcy." 
Do you have dichotomies in your life? What would you pick--wild night out, or calm night in?