Here I am, 55 years old.  I never thought I would be facing divorce at my age.  After 18 years of marriage and 22-1/2 years together, we're going our separate ways.

My wife dropped a bombshell on me one week before Father's Day.  She very nonchalantly informed me that in about six months, she would be leaving the country and she would not be returning.  "Yes", she said, "This means exactly what you're thinking:  divorce".

On that morning, we only spent 20 minutes talking as she had to be off doing something else.  During that 20 minute period, I was given two choices:  sell the house and we split the proceeds or I buy out her half.  She needed that money to fund her move.  I had 20 minutes to make a life altering decision.  I shook my head and said no.  I needed some time to myself to sort all this out. We're almost fourteen days later and I still haven't decided one way or another.

The following evening, we took a long, 2-1/2 hour drive and just talked.  That was the first time in many years that she and I actually talked face to face rather than via email or text.  During that talk, she listed what the problems were and where I had gone wrong in the marriage.  
1. Dead bedroom for sixteen years
2. Lack of touch
3. I wasn't changing into the man she wanted me to be
4. We weren't growing together as a couple.
5. We were stagnant.  She needed change and excitement while I was happy doing the same ol' routine week in and week out.
6. She felt trapped.

To put it succinctly, she admitted we never should have married to begin with.  That point I won't argue as she's right.  We both admitted that we met one another at one of the neediest points in our younger lives.  We glossed over the incompatibilities in order to assuage our needs at the time.  We both agreed we never should have gone past six months of dating to maybe a year, tops.

My emotions are all over the place.  I do love her but am not in love with her.  I'm scared, worried, elated, anxious, stressed, lonely.....you name it.  I'm stressed over what to do about my living situation.  I'm worried about our adult daughter and granddaughters and where they'll be living.  On the other hand, my wife is acting elated at the possibility of starting a whole new life in a foreign country that's been seeing spats of violence lately.