We are still really really happy to have moved and to have so much more freedom to do the things we want to do. We especially appreciated being here last week with the significant snow and ice and wind - no more power/well/pipe/snowed in worries anymore - made winter fun!
Thanksgiving came and went ... we spent our day eating simply, walking in the snow and making a joint piece of art for our bedroom wall of the path for the next year.
Of course, it's not long now until our Europe trip, so we're getting ready for that. But now the moving dust has settled, we have been developing the plans for 2011 more. Returning to our earlier plan, we are continuing with the ideas and goals we have developed, but we decided to switch them around - partly because it looks like Evan should be finished with his degree a little earlier and so overseas (out of the USA) options are easier. So instead of Hawaii first, we are looking into pursuing the English language teaching path first, and to take some time out next year to live and study in Hanoi, Vietnam, while we learn and become certified as English language teachers. And we'll add in a bit of backpacking around China while we're there. It is best to get the English language teacher's certificate with a Bachelors degree, and so that should be well timed with Evan's degree completion. And of course, this will serve us well to travel more, volunteer more, and eventually when we set up our charity project, to offer the language classes we want to.
And lastly, current book on the reading list (and a gift to Andy from Evan on our anniversary (#8!)) - "Thrive by Dan Buettner" ('secrets from the World's happiest people').
.....
"There is no teacher who can teach anything new. He can just help us remember the things we always knew"(Enigma)
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
Winter is Quickly Approaching
Well, Winter is fast approaching, but we are not getting ready to hibernate. Life in the condo is brilliant! It's afforded us the ability to spend more time on the things that matter to us, and it will enable us to do a lot more adventuring.
With this in mind, we are looking at the various options we'll have once Evan finishes his degree. The graduation application has been submitted and approved for this Summer being his final term. There are a lot of possibilities, and, in the mean time, we'll be taking some shorter trips to tide us over.
The first of these is back to the U.K. for Christmas. Christmas is not a holiday either of us relish in, but it means a lot to our U.K. family, so we are off next month. Andy has been homesick, and the tickets were surprisingly low for the time of year; this way we can bring some joy to our family in England while also alleviating the homesickness. Being us, however, the U.K. isn't particularly adventurous, so we'll be taking a jaunt to Florence, Italy while we're away! Bought Rick Steve's Guide to Florence and are very impressed with it.... getting excited to put it to good use.
Work is ticking right along for both of us. The spa has been a little slow for Ev, but this means people were anxious to pick up shifts, and the holiday is already covered. Andy is in demand as usual, and his boss was very gracious in her support of his need to go home for the holidays.
Let's see... Ikea trip was a success for the most part, and we settle in more each day. It took us until last week to get some of our art up, but we finally did, and that made it much more our home. Although we'd kind of grown used to the simplicity of bare walls. Next stage is finishing with knick-knack display and clearing out the garage of the stuff we moved over but decided we don't want/need. Then we'll set up part of the garage for an art studio for Andy. The coolest part of our latest house projects is that they are one-time deals. At our old place, it was an unending list which grew ever longer, but in the condo environment, the list gets shorter and shorter. We even feel a bit lost sometimes with the free time we now have.
Enough for now, and we'll post again in a couple weeks. Love to all!
"What are you waiting for?" - Lope de Vega
With this in mind, we are looking at the various options we'll have once Evan finishes his degree. The graduation application has been submitted and approved for this Summer being his final term. There are a lot of possibilities, and, in the mean time, we'll be taking some shorter trips to tide us over.
The first of these is back to the U.K. for Christmas. Christmas is not a holiday either of us relish in, but it means a lot to our U.K. family, so we are off next month. Andy has been homesick, and the tickets were surprisingly low for the time of year; this way we can bring some joy to our family in England while also alleviating the homesickness. Being us, however, the U.K. isn't particularly adventurous, so we'll be taking a jaunt to Florence, Italy while we're away! Bought Rick Steve's Guide to Florence and are very impressed with it.... getting excited to put it to good use.
Work is ticking right along for both of us. The spa has been a little slow for Ev, but this means people were anxious to pick up shifts, and the holiday is already covered. Andy is in demand as usual, and his boss was very gracious in her support of his need to go home for the holidays.
Let's see... Ikea trip was a success for the most part, and we settle in more each day. It took us until last week to get some of our art up, but we finally did, and that made it much more our home. Although we'd kind of grown used to the simplicity of bare walls. Next stage is finishing with knick-knack display and clearing out the garage of the stuff we moved over but decided we don't want/need. Then we'll set up part of the garage for an art studio for Andy. The coolest part of our latest house projects is that they are one-time deals. At our old place, it was an unending list which grew ever longer, but in the condo environment, the list gets shorter and shorter. We even feel a bit lost sometimes with the free time we now have.
Enough for now, and we'll post again in a couple weeks. Love to all!
"What are you waiting for?" - Lope de Vega
Monday, November 1, 2010
Halloween update
Spent an interesting Halloween watching the now annual Thriller zombie dance in downtown Bellingham - quite fun - the videos are on You Tube for those interested. Also went to Hellingham - an improv murder mystery show at the Upfront Theater (the one owned by Ryan Stikles from Whose Line is it Anyway?). Apart from that we have been busy getting settled in, unpacking, changing addresses, working out our new routines and getting ready to enjoy the increased flexibility that will now be ours with the move to the condo.
We are totally loving the condo and living here - so nice. Very happy. Have a neightbor from Canvey Island, Essex (where Andy's grandparents used to live). Big Ikea trip for tomorrow (discount coupon inhand!). Looking at our travel options while Evan continues with his degree - only three more semesters left ... Looking towards our plans prevously laid out but slightly delayed due to the move .... Lots to get going now ....
That's all for now!
We are totally loving the condo and living here - so nice. Very happy. Have a neightbor from Canvey Island, Essex (where Andy's grandparents used to live). Big Ikea trip for tomorrow (discount coupon inhand!). Looking at our travel options while Evan continues with his degree - only three more semesters left ... Looking towards our plans prevously laid out but slightly delayed due to the move .... Lots to get going now ....
That's all for now!
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Goodbye and Hello
We have finally moved! After the last entry there had been more delays and we were letting go and wondering if we were ever actually going to move. We had heard stories of deals falling through up to the day before. So, 8:00 am Monday morning we took Colorado for her morning walk and thought about if we would move soon; by 9:00 am the move was on and it was happening the next day!!! So in short we have spent the last three days in a crazy hectic blur of activity!! And we have moved.
Our last day at the house was on Tuesday, and we did our very best to leave the house clean and welcoming. We performed a closing ritual and said goodbye to all the memories and energies there, and although sad it was fairly easy in the end to close the door and walk away. Andy spent one more moment in the hammock in the orchard under the prayer flags; a walk around the garden - such a mixed blessing! and we were gone (except Andy had to go back quitely a 6:00 am the next day to pick up the Native American axe head left by the moving van...).
The first night in the new place was an exhausted blur (Frances had dog-sat Colorado and made dinner for us); yesterday we got to set up the basic furniture and the internet and phone, and last night we had the skylights open in bed and could see the full moon shining down at us! A real surprise! Neighbors have been friendly and we have already established a routine of a short detour on Colorado's morning walk via the local coffee shop a few minutes away! Bit more our style.
We are enjoying the fire place, the big window (we still have a Mount Baker view), the balcony, the ice maker, the skylights, the garage, the fast internet connection and the stair lift...!!! That's right - we have a stair lift on the interior (garage entrance) stairs - quite fun - we'll never have to wlak up stairs again (though you have to have plenty of time to ride it- plan on an extra 20 minutes to get out of the house) - visitors will now be entertained with our own carnival ride.....
Time to unpack some more.....
.......
"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end" (Semisonic)
Our last day at the house was on Tuesday, and we did our very best to leave the house clean and welcoming. We performed a closing ritual and said goodbye to all the memories and energies there, and although sad it was fairly easy in the end to close the door and walk away. Andy spent one more moment in the hammock in the orchard under the prayer flags; a walk around the garden - such a mixed blessing! and we were gone (except Andy had to go back quitely a 6:00 am the next day to pick up the Native American axe head left by the moving van...).
The first night in the new place was an exhausted blur (Frances had dog-sat Colorado and made dinner for us); yesterday we got to set up the basic furniture and the internet and phone, and last night we had the skylights open in bed and could see the full moon shining down at us! A real surprise! Neighbors have been friendly and we have already established a routine of a short detour on Colorado's morning walk via the local coffee shop a few minutes away! Bit more our style.
We are enjoying the fire place, the big window (we still have a Mount Baker view), the balcony, the ice maker, the skylights, the garage, the fast internet connection and the stair lift...!!! That's right - we have a stair lift on the interior (garage entrance) stairs - quite fun - we'll never have to wlak up stairs again (though you have to have plenty of time to ride it- plan on an extra 20 minutes to get out of the house) - visitors will now be entertained with our own carnival ride.....
Time to unpack some more.....
.......
"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end" (Semisonic)
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Surrender
We are practicing surrendering to the process. Sometimes situations evolve to a point where we can best take power by recognizing we are not the ultimate authority on the matter.
This has been our theme during this moving process. Our closing date was again delayed because banks and FHA needed more tests and paperwork, and since we have done everything on our end, we have just been waiting and recognizing that everything unfolds as it should. It looks like we will close on Tuesday, and we hope we will. If we don't, though, that's ok too. We have a home, and that is more than many can say, so we are grateful.
In addition to waiting, we have been enjoying our time living out of boxes by eating out more and spending a lot of time doing new things. Since cooking is a challenge with most things packed, we have endulged in meals out more often. We have also spent every day off looking for new things to do like visitng Larrabee State Park. When we first moved here, we went to Larrabee but didn't want to pay to get in, but a few years ago, the courts decided that people shouldn't have to pay twice for park admission; since its funded by taxes, no more admission fees. Gorgeous new beach to have a Trader Joes picnic on... Lovely!
We are using this time to focus on transition. Specifically, we are contemplating the tarot cards for the hanged man and death- these two represent the stages we are in well. It is a time to grieve what we are saying goodbye to and to prepare for a new way of being. We kept that in mind and tried to hold an attitude of somber contemplation while completing the final walk through of what we hope will be our new condo last night.
Our dear friend, Frances, has been a great help by having us over frequently in the last week or two for a meal and good movie or tv show. We really enjoy this respite.
Our next blog may or may not be from our new condo; time and the will of the gods shall tell!!!
"Birth and death are not two different states, but they are different aspects of the same state" -Gandhi
This has been our theme during this moving process. Our closing date was again delayed because banks and FHA needed more tests and paperwork, and since we have done everything on our end, we have just been waiting and recognizing that everything unfolds as it should. It looks like we will close on Tuesday, and we hope we will. If we don't, though, that's ok too. We have a home, and that is more than many can say, so we are grateful.
In addition to waiting, we have been enjoying our time living out of boxes by eating out more and spending a lot of time doing new things. Since cooking is a challenge with most things packed, we have endulged in meals out more often. We have also spent every day off looking for new things to do like visitng Larrabee State Park. When we first moved here, we went to Larrabee but didn't want to pay to get in, but a few years ago, the courts decided that people shouldn't have to pay twice for park admission; since its funded by taxes, no more admission fees. Gorgeous new beach to have a Trader Joes picnic on... Lovely!
We are using this time to focus on transition. Specifically, we are contemplating the tarot cards for the hanged man and death- these two represent the stages we are in well. It is a time to grieve what we are saying goodbye to and to prepare for a new way of being. We kept that in mind and tried to hold an attitude of somber contemplation while completing the final walk through of what we hope will be our new condo last night.
Our dear friend, Frances, has been a great help by having us over frequently in the last week or two for a meal and good movie or tv show. We really enjoy this respite.
Our next blog may or may not be from our new condo; time and the will of the gods shall tell!!!
"Birth and death are not two different states, but they are different aspects of the same state" -Gandhi
Monday, October 4, 2010
Meeting a real life nomad (and other news)
Things have been pretty busy these last couple of weeks. We were meant to close on the house sale and purchase last week - this was delayed (with more paperwork) until this week - and at present we are waiting to here if we will close this Friday. Things got held up with our buyer delaying water quality tests and additional paperwork. That's all taken care of now, so we are waiing on the banks.
In the meantime, we have been packed and ready to move for a week or so, so we are living out of some boxes and just getting on with it. We have been donating many items and preparing to simplify some more so that our lives will be a lot easier when we move. While we will miss the house, we are looking forward to the ease of travelling and leaving the condo. With this in mind, we have started planning some trips and events...
We have decided to delay a little some of the plans - Evan is going to work on finishing his degree by the summer and it has become more important to Andy to be able to spend some more time in the UK before we hit Hawaii. We are looking at a few shorter trips over the next few months, with a view to getting moved and settled before we attempt some of our bigger ideas. More as these plans develop.
One of the highlights of the last couple of weeks was meeting Rita Golden Gelman - a self-professed nomad. Rita left a very comfortable life in LA to roam the world, living on a few thousand dollars a year, and travelling whereever she felt like, living with local people and learning customs and languages as she goes. She's been a nomad for approx. 25 years. Her book (Tales of a Female Nomad) is terrific. She came to talk about her new book at our local indie bookstore, where we got to listen to some more of her travel adventures, as well as meeting her, shaking hands and having her sign our copy of her book - quite inspiring considering she is in her late 60's (or older) - and still going strong.
we know it's time to get out there again when people start to ask where we are going next - so first off is a trip to Mexico City in the next month or so - currently in the planning process. We would also love to finally get to experience the Northern Lights - another trip in the planning stage.
More news in a couple of weeks - hopefully from our new home. Despite the slight delay, we are feeling very fortunate to have sold our house in the curent market.
.....
"I looked around and thought: There has to be more than one way to do life. There is." (Rita Golden Gelman)
In the meantime, we have been packed and ready to move for a week or so, so we are living out of some boxes and just getting on with it. We have been donating many items and preparing to simplify some more so that our lives will be a lot easier when we move. While we will miss the house, we are looking forward to the ease of travelling and leaving the condo. With this in mind, we have started planning some trips and events...
We have decided to delay a little some of the plans - Evan is going to work on finishing his degree by the summer and it has become more important to Andy to be able to spend some more time in the UK before we hit Hawaii. We are looking at a few shorter trips over the next few months, with a view to getting moved and settled before we attempt some of our bigger ideas. More as these plans develop.
One of the highlights of the last couple of weeks was meeting Rita Golden Gelman - a self-professed nomad. Rita left a very comfortable life in LA to roam the world, living on a few thousand dollars a year, and travelling whereever she felt like, living with local people and learning customs and languages as she goes. She's been a nomad for approx. 25 years. Her book (Tales of a Female Nomad) is terrific. She came to talk about her new book at our local indie bookstore, where we got to listen to some more of her travel adventures, as well as meeting her, shaking hands and having her sign our copy of her book - quite inspiring considering she is in her late 60's (or older) - and still going strong.
we know it's time to get out there again when people start to ask where we are going next - so first off is a trip to Mexico City in the next month or so - currently in the planning process. We would also love to finally get to experience the Northern Lights - another trip in the planning stage.
More news in a couple of weeks - hopefully from our new home. Despite the slight delay, we are feeling very fortunate to have sold our house in the curent market.
.....
"I looked around and thought: There has to be more than one way to do life. There is." (Rita Golden Gelman)
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Where the He** Have we Been?!!!
Well.... on returning from a truly lovely trip to the UK, we came back to an offer on our house. While terrific news, the last month has been crazy busy with jumping through the hoops of selling and also needing to find somewhere new to buy.
On that note, we are under contract on a condo which we are pretty pleased about: 2 bed, 2 bath, vaulted ceilings, private garage in a close knit complex which makes it pretty secure and easy to leave. So..... things are really moving forward in regards to the pursuit of our dream lifestyle.
The sale of our house was going to close a week from today, but all the B.S. surrounding a house sale has brought about a slight delay... not sure how long... hopefully only a day or two. Anyway, sooner rather than later we will be in our condo and making a big announcement about the OFFICIAL next step in our master plan!
Do stay tuned, and our apologies for not posting sooner.
On that note, we are under contract on a condo which we are pretty pleased about: 2 bed, 2 bath, vaulted ceilings, private garage in a close knit complex which makes it pretty secure and easy to leave. So..... things are really moving forward in regards to the pursuit of our dream lifestyle.
The sale of our house was going to close a week from today, but all the B.S. surrounding a house sale has brought about a slight delay... not sure how long... hopefully only a day or two. Anyway, sooner rather than later we will be in our condo and making a big announcement about the OFFICIAL next step in our master plan!
Do stay tuned, and our apologies for not posting sooner.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Part II: Cornwall
We are having a lovely time with Andy's mum and dad in Cornwall. Cornwall is the southwestern-most county in England, and it is absolutely stunning with green rolling countryside, steep cliffs dropping into the sea, and beautiful sandy beaches.
We are staying in the village of St. Agnes which is very nice and less touristy than many of the surrounding villages. This isn't to say there are no tourists, just that it is a bit quieter here than elsewhere.
We have seen the busy but historic and attractive town of St. Ives, the party town of Newquay, the legendary city of Penzance (there were actually never pirates here), and many, many surfer filled villages in between. We've seen (and climbed to) a castle, and we explored the amazing Eden project; this is a huge garden experiment of sorts with "biomes" (huge climate controlled domes)as well as outdoor gardens, cafes, and environmental education projects- a definite must if one is in Cornwall.
All the experiences are brilliant, but best of all is having some time away with Andy's parents to visit and catch up (and it certainly doesn't hurt to be able to do so over a Cornish cream tea).
Photos coming soon!
We are staying in the village of St. Agnes which is very nice and less touristy than many of the surrounding villages. This isn't to say there are no tourists, just that it is a bit quieter here than elsewhere.
We have seen the busy but historic and attractive town of St. Ives, the party town of Newquay, the legendary city of Penzance (there were actually never pirates here), and many, many surfer filled villages in between. We've seen (and climbed to) a castle, and we explored the amazing Eden project; this is a huge garden experiment of sorts with "biomes" (huge climate controlled domes)as well as outdoor gardens, cafes, and environmental education projects- a definite must if one is in Cornwall.
All the experiences are brilliant, but best of all is having some time away with Andy's parents to visit and catch up (and it certainly doesn't hurt to be able to do so over a Cornish cream tea).
Photos coming soon!
Friday, July 30, 2010
Finally .... Iceland and UK (part 1)
Well finally having some time and some internet access at the same time to make an entry. We are currently west of London in a small town/village called Twyford visiting Helen and Pete, catching up and sampling some cracking home made curries. All is well.
Quick update to this point - had a fabulous 3 days in Iceland. 24 hour sunlight was odd but also seemed to give us a bit more energy and get up and go. Arrived late first night; first day we went puffin spotting on a little boat (saw many!) and then took off in our very expensive rental car to the Blue Lagoon - a huge area of volcanic rock and heated mineral waters (a strange milky blue color) where we soaked and steamed and covered ourselves in white silica mud. Felt very good after that. Spent some time travelling the roads around Reyjavik; some gravel where our rental car got a bit cracked up (oops). Fines on return.... Next day, after smoked and pickled fish for breakfast, we were off to waterfalls, geysirs and to walk in between the American and European continental divide and see the site of the (reported) first parliament in the world (Viking). Our time in Iceland was over too quick, and we were back at the airport heading for the UK.
In the UK we've been busy too - exploring Southend and the coast (Andy's parent's new home), travelling to Hull (Andy's old home), visiting Aunt Shiela and Uncle Alf in Newcastle, visiting the old cities of Lincoln and Durham on the way, and stopping at Sherwood Forest on the trail of Robin Hood. One of the highlights was visiting a group of prehistoric caves (Creswell Scrags) where they hve recently discovered the first prehistoric (caveman) cave art in the UK - we were really lucky to get on a tour at the last minute to see it very upclose and personal. 15,000 year old cave art of bison, birds, and deer! Awesome. Another highlight was the open air concert Boogie Nights in the Park, a retro event of 80' and 90's acts in a park next to Ely Cathedral, which included a performance by none other than Bananarama (Andy was (as we say here) well chuffed).
Next we're off to Cornwall to spend a few days there with Andy's mum and dad, and some more time with friends and family. Before that (tomorrow) we're off to a Tudor festival! So getting a lot of culture too.
Having a good time and it is very nice to be back in the summer. All the work is getting finished up at the house while we're away and while we've had quite a bit of interest, no offers just yet. Missing Colorado of course - more so as Helen and Pete are dogsitting an energetic and sweet german shepherd at the moment.
More soon.
Quick update to this point - had a fabulous 3 days in Iceland. 24 hour sunlight was odd but also seemed to give us a bit more energy and get up and go. Arrived late first night; first day we went puffin spotting on a little boat (saw many!) and then took off in our very expensive rental car to the Blue Lagoon - a huge area of volcanic rock and heated mineral waters (a strange milky blue color) where we soaked and steamed and covered ourselves in white silica mud. Felt very good after that. Spent some time travelling the roads around Reyjavik; some gravel where our rental car got a bit cracked up (oops). Fines on return.... Next day, after smoked and pickled fish for breakfast, we were off to waterfalls, geysirs and to walk in between the American and European continental divide and see the site of the (reported) first parliament in the world (Viking). Our time in Iceland was over too quick, and we were back at the airport heading for the UK.
In the UK we've been busy too - exploring Southend and the coast (Andy's parent's new home), travelling to Hull (Andy's old home), visiting Aunt Shiela and Uncle Alf in Newcastle, visiting the old cities of Lincoln and Durham on the way, and stopping at Sherwood Forest on the trail of Robin Hood. One of the highlights was visiting a group of prehistoric caves (Creswell Scrags) where they hve recently discovered the first prehistoric (caveman) cave art in the UK - we were really lucky to get on a tour at the last minute to see it very upclose and personal. 15,000 year old cave art of bison, birds, and deer! Awesome. Another highlight was the open air concert Boogie Nights in the Park, a retro event of 80' and 90's acts in a park next to Ely Cathedral, which included a performance by none other than Bananarama (Andy was (as we say here) well chuffed).
Next we're off to Cornwall to spend a few days there with Andy's mum and dad, and some more time with friends and family. Before that (tomorrow) we're off to a Tudor festival! So getting a lot of culture too.
Having a good time and it is very nice to be back in the summer. All the work is getting finished up at the house while we're away and while we've had quite a bit of interest, no offers just yet. Missing Colorado of course - more so as Helen and Pete are dogsitting an energetic and sweet german shepherd at the moment.
More soon.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Boston, Reykjavik, and Beyond
Here we are in Boston after a brilliant time exploring the city! We are on our way to Reykjavik, Iceland before ending up back in England for a visit with family and friends there. Boston is lovely, and we are looking forward to exploring Reykjavik and surrounds.
Our plan continues as last posted. Our house is once again up for sale so that we can downsize to a condo and make our 'snowbird' life more manageable. We have both applied for (and Andy has recieved) our Hawaii licenses, so that will be a 'go' for later this year. The majority of our time has been spent preparing for this trip and, even more so, getting organized to move house and head for Hawaii... some home repairs and lots of upkeep so it is 'pristine' as advertised.
We will, of course, post news from our trip at some time in the not-to-far-away future, but, for now, we simply continue with what we believe to be a very exciting lifestyle change!
Our plan continues as last posted. Our house is once again up for sale so that we can downsize to a condo and make our 'snowbird' life more manageable. We have both applied for (and Andy has recieved) our Hawaii licenses, so that will be a 'go' for later this year. The majority of our time has been spent preparing for this trip and, even more so, getting organized to move house and head for Hawaii... some home repairs and lots of upkeep so it is 'pristine' as advertised.
We will, of course, post news from our trip at some time in the not-to-far-away future, but, for now, we simply continue with what we believe to be a very exciting lifestyle change!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Updates
Well, still busy!
The house is back on the market - and we're aggressively trying to sell it - mainly to make it so much easier to take off and travel. So, send us best wishes to sell it. Whether we sell it soon or not, we're still pursuing our plans, as shared last entry.
Lots of occupational therapy job opportunities in Hawaii for Andy, and lots more massage therapy jobs for Evan. It was easy for Andy to get an OT licence. Ev will have to apply to take the state boards, and has that application under way. We are looking at Oahu. This is partly because we like being in/near cities; partly because we are not planning to take a car there, but to rely on rental cars and public transport (therefore Oahu is best), and partly because we want to be able to get there and back as easily as possible. One opportunity we are looking into is Andy getting work through the Army (yeah yeah yeah!...) as there are many opportunities world wide ... we'll see. We plan on being there for 6-9 months.
In the mean time, we're also getting ready for our UK and Iceland trip. UK plans include a few days in an old old hotel on the coast of Cornwall with mum and dad, a visit back up to Newcastle, this time with a car with stops on the way to Lincoln and Hull (Andy's old home) and Nottingham and Sherwood Forest on the drive back to London. We have also secured tickets to a summer festival featuring none other than ... Bananarama! Andy IS excited! plus the usual visits with friends and family.
Iceland plans include a lazy half day at the Blue Lagoon hot water springs resort and a morning puffin spotting; we decided to bite the bullet and rent a car (very expensive) to really make the most of our time and see the island.
And crazy though it is, those Alsaka cruises are getting cheaper and cheaper .... oh, maybe!!!
Anyway, hopefully we'll be moving and downsizing some more to make it all a bit easier.
More later.
The house is back on the market - and we're aggressively trying to sell it - mainly to make it so much easier to take off and travel. So, send us best wishes to sell it. Whether we sell it soon or not, we're still pursuing our plans, as shared last entry.
Lots of occupational therapy job opportunities in Hawaii for Andy, and lots more massage therapy jobs for Evan. It was easy for Andy to get an OT licence. Ev will have to apply to take the state boards, and has that application under way. We are looking at Oahu. This is partly because we like being in/near cities; partly because we are not planning to take a car there, but to rely on rental cars and public transport (therefore Oahu is best), and partly because we want to be able to get there and back as easily as possible. One opportunity we are looking into is Andy getting work through the Army (yeah yeah yeah!...) as there are many opportunities world wide ... we'll see. We plan on being there for 6-9 months.
In the mean time, we're also getting ready for our UK and Iceland trip. UK plans include a few days in an old old hotel on the coast of Cornwall with mum and dad, a visit back up to Newcastle, this time with a car with stops on the way to Lincoln and Hull (Andy's old home) and Nottingham and Sherwood Forest on the drive back to London. We have also secured tickets to a summer festival featuring none other than ... Bananarama! Andy IS excited! plus the usual visits with friends and family.
Iceland plans include a lazy half day at the Blue Lagoon hot water springs resort and a morning puffin spotting; we decided to bite the bullet and rent a car (very expensive) to really make the most of our time and see the island.
And crazy though it is, those Alsaka cruises are getting cheaper and cheaper .... oh, maybe!!!
Anyway, hopefully we'll be moving and downsizing some more to make it all a bit easier.
More later.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
The Plan
Finally … we can now get some news out there. As we have been posting, there has been some planning and dreaming going on here. We’ve also been enjoying living in Washington in the summer, and have been off and about – last weekend we camped in Leavenworth, Spokane and Winthrop. We thought we should see some more of Washington before we ….
Firstly, we are putting the house back on the market – we have chosen our agent and will be getting all the things finalized to list again in the next couple of days. The reasons are the same as last time – that while we love our house, it makes it much harder to travel and leave for extended periods of time. So, hopefully, we will sell soon and move into a condo locally, from where we can …
So we have a 4 year plan, and this is how is goes – we’re planning an interim move to Hawaii in the not too distant future – time to do something new – and we have both wanted to experience living on a tropical island for a while. We plan on doing this for 6-9 months while keeping our ties and home base in Bellingham. This will give Ev the time to finish his degree (which he has to do in the USA)( … unless Andy gets a job with the army as a therapist then we can go anywhere) as well as giving us the chance to earn our TEFL certificates (teaching English as a foreign language). After our Hawaii and degree completion stint, we are going to move to New Zealand for a year to work and travel. Lots of job opportunities and options for us. Then, year 3 will see us heading to Asia (China?) to teach English for a year; before settling down in the Caribbean to set up our overseas charity project. We plan to keep our USA base in Bellingham, as we love it here so much and have many friends and work prospects, but to be our version of snow-birds !.....
So that’s the plan – it’s taken quite a bit of planning and organizing – wish us luck and stay tuned – we’ll be updating again more regularly.
In the meantime, we’re off to the UK and Iceland next month for a few weeks!!!
……
“Life is either nothing or a daring adventure” (Helen Keller)
Firstly, we are putting the house back on the market – we have chosen our agent and will be getting all the things finalized to list again in the next couple of days. The reasons are the same as last time – that while we love our house, it makes it much harder to travel and leave for extended periods of time. So, hopefully, we will sell soon and move into a condo locally, from where we can …
So we have a 4 year plan, and this is how is goes – we’re planning an interim move to Hawaii in the not too distant future – time to do something new – and we have both wanted to experience living on a tropical island for a while. We plan on doing this for 6-9 months while keeping our ties and home base in Bellingham. This will give Ev the time to finish his degree (which he has to do in the USA)( … unless Andy gets a job with the army as a therapist then we can go anywhere) as well as giving us the chance to earn our TEFL certificates (teaching English as a foreign language). After our Hawaii and degree completion stint, we are going to move to New Zealand for a year to work and travel. Lots of job opportunities and options for us. Then, year 3 will see us heading to Asia (China?) to teach English for a year; before settling down in the Caribbean to set up our overseas charity project. We plan to keep our USA base in Bellingham, as we love it here so much and have many friends and work prospects, but to be our version of snow-birds !.....
So that’s the plan – it’s taken quite a bit of planning and organizing – wish us luck and stay tuned – we’ll be updating again more regularly.
In the meantime, we’re off to the UK and Iceland next month for a few weeks!!!
……
“Life is either nothing or a daring adventure” (Helen Keller)
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Not Yet
Sorry to disappoint, but we're still not letting the cat out of the bag regarding the changes mentioned in the last couple of posts. The reason is timeline related. We can't make it known until the timeline is definite, and the timeline is very dependent on a lot of variables... so....
We spent 1/2 the weekend getting the house spruced up for a potential re-visit to the real estate market; up on the roof, touch up painting, cleaning, gardening, etc., etc. Still a bit more to do before we contact an agent, but it looks as though we will attempt to sell again.
The second 1/2 of the weekend consisted of a trip to Seattle yesterday. Coffee at a favorite spot we spent much time at while Ev was in massage school, a trip to volunteer park, then on to the Rhododendron garden, and we finished up with a look around the shops at University Village and a lovely bowl of noodles at Zao.
We realize the posts aren't as exciting as of late, but hang tight, we will be ramping it up in the not too far away future!
"The day you decide to do it is your lucky day." (Japanese Proverb)
We spent 1/2 the weekend getting the house spruced up for a potential re-visit to the real estate market; up on the roof, touch up painting, cleaning, gardening, etc., etc. Still a bit more to do before we contact an agent, but it looks as though we will attempt to sell again.
The second 1/2 of the weekend consisted of a trip to Seattle yesterday. Coffee at a favorite spot we spent much time at while Ev was in massage school, a trip to volunteer park, then on to the Rhododendron garden, and we finished up with a look around the shops at University Village and a lovely bowl of noodles at Zao.
We realize the posts aren't as exciting as of late, but hang tight, we will be ramping it up in the not too far away future!
"The day you decide to do it is your lucky day." (Japanese Proverb)
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Post DR - update
Since we’ve been back from the Dominican Republic we’ve been plotting some more. Can’t say too much at the moment, but we’re getting ready to make some pretty big changes…. Stay tuned – we’ll write about it as soon as we can let the cat out of the bag.
In the meantime we’re getting ready for our next trip to the UK and Iceland this summer. Plans already made or in the making include a summertime festival by a cathedral, a trip to Cornwall with Andy’s mum and dad, and a trip up to northern England to see Aunt Shiela and Uncle Alf, stopping on route in Hull (where Andy used to live) and Nottingham (to visit Nottingham Forest). Iceland plans include visiting some of the un-spoilt wilderness there (maybe skipping the volcanoes), a trip to the world’s oldest parliament and Viking remains, and the highlight, puffin spotting!
We’re also seriously considering another try at selling the house and moving into town and to somewhere smaller, to make life and our future plans a little easier.
That’s all for now. We hope to post some of our Dominican Republic pictures soon.
….
“We choose to give up something we want for something we want more” (Unknown)
In the meantime we’re getting ready for our next trip to the UK and Iceland this summer. Plans already made or in the making include a summertime festival by a cathedral, a trip to Cornwall with Andy’s mum and dad, and a trip up to northern England to see Aunt Shiela and Uncle Alf, stopping on route in Hull (where Andy used to live) and Nottingham (to visit Nottingham Forest). Iceland plans include visiting some of the un-spoilt wilderness there (maybe skipping the volcanoes), a trip to the world’s oldest parliament and Viking remains, and the highlight, puffin spotting!
We’re also seriously considering another try at selling the house and moving into town and to somewhere smaller, to make life and our future plans a little easier.
That’s all for now. We hope to post some of our Dominican Republic pictures soon.
….
“We choose to give up something we want for something we want more” (Unknown)
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Las Terrenas
Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic. Sitting on our patio outside our bungalow, listening to the birds singing in the tropical trees as a bright green gecko watches me watch him.... Lovely.
So we have quite fallen in love with Las Terrenas, a local town at the end of a winding and pot-holed filled road on the northern coast. A mixture of locals, expats and the more adventurous tourists. There's plenty of local color that is tempered by, but not overrun by, the fairly minimal presence of westerners - but enough that there are amenities that we would need (such as wifi!), but no huge resorts and throngs of westerners. We have spent the last couple of days walking the long long stretches of beaches, sitting under palm trees and getting a bit silly on the cheap rum and cokes. We like it here so much we actually cancelled the next stop on our tour (Caberete)as we don't think we need to see anymore (and had enough of the driving too).
Today we have been plotting and scheming, and if it all turns out (as it usually does), there are some ch-ch-ch-changes coming down the pipe pretty soon ... not that we're quite ready to set up shop (figurativly and literally), but we are ready to get on now with the next phase in our life-evolution. Time, we say, for some more adventure before we start again. Visiting the Caribbean and experiencing it, we are now finally able to put the final piece into the puzzle and set off to begin the next four years ...
The full details to follow, plus some pictures, once we are home.
So we have quite fallen in love with Las Terrenas, a local town at the end of a winding and pot-holed filled road on the northern coast. A mixture of locals, expats and the more adventurous tourists. There's plenty of local color that is tempered by, but not overrun by, the fairly minimal presence of westerners - but enough that there are amenities that we would need (such as wifi!), but no huge resorts and throngs of westerners. We have spent the last couple of days walking the long long stretches of beaches, sitting under palm trees and getting a bit silly on the cheap rum and cokes. We like it here so much we actually cancelled the next stop on our tour (Caberete)as we don't think we need to see anymore (and had enough of the driving too).
Today we have been plotting and scheming, and if it all turns out (as it usually does), there are some ch-ch-ch-changes coming down the pipe pretty soon ... not that we're quite ready to set up shop (figurativly and literally), but we are ready to get on now with the next phase in our life-evolution. Time, we say, for some more adventure before we start again. Visiting the Caribbean and experiencing it, we are now finally able to put the final piece into the puzzle and set off to begin the next four years ...
The full details to follow, plus some pictures, once we are home.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Curious What We're Up To?
Well, it's been quite the adventure thus far. The first night we arrived late and drove a rental car in a downpour trying to find our hotel... which we did but couldn't find the exit from the freeway to get there. After alot of trying, we did get there. So glad we sprung for the more expensive hotel near the airport for the first night!
Next we were off to Bayahibe. It was lovely, but didn't seem a good fit for our project. Too mellow, really. The tourist presence is nil except for those in huge entourages from the nearby resort... and they pretty much just parade through town on their way to excursions... no stopping by local vendors. Big adventure here with our tire going flat and loads of ahrgy bargy to get a new car. Ended up having to phone the credit card company to make use of our travel emergency benefit to get an interpreter to help sort it out (yes; our Spanish needs a lot of work if we are to make the project happen!)... ended up putting on the spare and driving to the nearest Europcar office about half an hour away. Got it sorted, though.We did visit a couple of local bars/cafes that gave us some good ideas for what we might do if in the DR.
Today we drove for about 4 hours to reach the beautiful town of Las Terrenas. Looks promising so far, but we've only just arrived. If we do like what we see the next day or so, we may well just finish out our DR time here.... we shall see.
Lots of driving has meant seeing lots of the country in a short amount of time. This gives us a fairly good overview in and of itself. Andy has done all except that first night (Evan was put off with getting lost and all). It is challenging, but not impossible, and it really is letting us see the county more freely.
We'll sign off for now. More later.
Next we were off to Bayahibe. It was lovely, but didn't seem a good fit for our project. Too mellow, really. The tourist presence is nil except for those in huge entourages from the nearby resort... and they pretty much just parade through town on their way to excursions... no stopping by local vendors. Big adventure here with our tire going flat and loads of ahrgy bargy to get a new car. Ended up having to phone the credit card company to make use of our travel emergency benefit to get an interpreter to help sort it out (yes; our Spanish needs a lot of work if we are to make the project happen!)... ended up putting on the spare and driving to the nearest Europcar office about half an hour away. Got it sorted, though.We did visit a couple of local bars/cafes that gave us some good ideas for what we might do if in the DR.
Today we drove for about 4 hours to reach the beautiful town of Las Terrenas. Looks promising so far, but we've only just arrived. If we do like what we see the next day or so, we may well just finish out our DR time here.... we shall see.
Lots of driving has meant seeing lots of the country in a short amount of time. This gives us a fairly good overview in and of itself. Andy has done all except that first night (Evan was put off with getting lost and all). It is challenging, but not impossible, and it really is letting us see the county more freely.
We'll sign off for now. More later.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Tulips, movies, and DR dreaming
With now only a week to go to our trip to Dominican Republic, we have been busy preparing. We have chosen to focus our research on three main regions – the south coast (includes Boca Chica and Bayahibe); the east coast (Bavaro and Playa Uvero Alta – avoiding the stretches of all-inclusive resorts around Punta Cana); and the north coast (Las Terenas, Cabarete and Santa Barbara). We are staying in local B and B’s with the hope to make connections and build bridges with other small businesses and organizations. Other areas sound great, but we need to focus our energies on tourist areas that have the ‘right kind’ of tourists – i.e. ones who are out and about in the local communities and who are likely to stop and shop at a charity business. Although many tourists go to the Dominican Republic, the majority of them stay on the infamous all-inclusive resorts, rarely straying out of the safety and confines of their created paradise…. So while we are heading of to a Caribbean island, there is not a lot of emphasis on vacationing and sitting around drinking mai-tais (maybe one!)
Life continues in all other areas. This afternoon, when we have completed yet another garden project, we are off to visit the tulip fields of Washington – it is the annual tulip festival where there are acres and acres of tulips being grown across the fields of Skagit County – and now is flowering time – quite a sight!
Our treat has been to buy two more of our favorite movies of all time (used copies of course!) – Big Fish and Up, to add to our small but powerfully inspirational collection, which includes Love Actually, Magnolia, Beautiful Thing and American Beauty!
We have also been getting to know one of bird neighbors very well – a young robin is intent on getting in the house and spends several hours a day tapping on the window or sitting on the sill and looking in. In Native American symbology, the robin is an animal totem that represents springtime and new life. We have tried telling him we’ve got the message, but he’s still there – tapping away as I type!
We’re off next Tuesday early morning, so look for our next post from the Dominican Republic.
……………
“Following you dreams may be hard, but ignoring them is disastrous” (Ingrid Collins)
Life continues in all other areas. This afternoon, when we have completed yet another garden project, we are off to visit the tulip fields of Washington – it is the annual tulip festival where there are acres and acres of tulips being grown across the fields of Skagit County – and now is flowering time – quite a sight!
Our treat has been to buy two more of our favorite movies of all time (used copies of course!) – Big Fish and Up, to add to our small but powerfully inspirational collection, which includes Love Actually, Magnolia, Beautiful Thing and American Beauty!
We have also been getting to know one of bird neighbors very well – a young robin is intent on getting in the house and spends several hours a day tapping on the window or sitting on the sill and looking in. In Native American symbology, the robin is an animal totem that represents springtime and new life. We have tried telling him we’ve got the message, but he’s still there – tapping away as I type!
We’re off next Tuesday early morning, so look for our next post from the Dominican Republic.
……………
“Following you dreams may be hard, but ignoring them is disastrous” (Ingrid Collins)
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
DR plans and impossible things
It can be challenging balancing the daily needs of living in this culture with our dreams and projects, especially finding the time to do all the things we want to do. And of course to work on many of our goals requires money, which we have to work for, which takes time, which means less time for our projects, etc. Anyway, we continue to try and find the optimum balance between dong and being.
Most of the plans are now completed for our upcoming trip to the Dominican Republic to investigate the possibility of setting up our charity development project there. We are going to be driving around several of the areas popular with tourists, avoiding the all-inclusive resorts where tourists rarely leave the compound, and staying at local bed-and-breakfasts along the way. We are driving around the country, which sounds like it will be an ‘adventure’. But it is pretty much all sorted out and we are now looking into other organizations that we could make contact with (including one with a connection to Monterey, CA – thanks mom!).
Took a day trip to Seattle yesterday – our first day off in a while. Did our favorite things, including coffee (naturally!), walking in one of the glorious Pacific Northwest waterfront parks, second-hand book and CD shopping, and ethnic food! Lovely. We also finally got around to seeing the ‘Alice In Wonderland’ movie (Andy is a Big Tim Burton fan). Evan liked the movie, Andy was disappointed with the large liberties that were taken with the original stories. The correct ‘impossible things’ quote is therefore listed below as our quote for today (which was said by the White Queen actually, not Alice … says slightly obsessional-sounding Andy).
We continue with long-term plans also, and with more garden projects designed to make it easier to care for the house. And we have been planning our side trip to Iceland, which should include Viking remains, puffins and laying around in white mud and hot mineral water…..
……..
Alice laughed. “There’s no use trying,” she said: “one can’t believe impossible things.”
“I dare say you haven’t had much practice,” said the Queen. “When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast …” (Alice Through The Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll)
Most of the plans are now completed for our upcoming trip to the Dominican Republic to investigate the possibility of setting up our charity development project there. We are going to be driving around several of the areas popular with tourists, avoiding the all-inclusive resorts where tourists rarely leave the compound, and staying at local bed-and-breakfasts along the way. We are driving around the country, which sounds like it will be an ‘adventure’. But it is pretty much all sorted out and we are now looking into other organizations that we could make contact with (including one with a connection to Monterey, CA – thanks mom!).
Took a day trip to Seattle yesterday – our first day off in a while. Did our favorite things, including coffee (naturally!), walking in one of the glorious Pacific Northwest waterfront parks, second-hand book and CD shopping, and ethnic food! Lovely. We also finally got around to seeing the ‘Alice In Wonderland’ movie (Andy is a Big Tim Burton fan). Evan liked the movie, Andy was disappointed with the large liberties that were taken with the original stories. The correct ‘impossible things’ quote is therefore listed below as our quote for today (which was said by the White Queen actually, not Alice … says slightly obsessional-sounding Andy).
We continue with long-term plans also, and with more garden projects designed to make it easier to care for the house. And we have been planning our side trip to Iceland, which should include Viking remains, puffins and laying around in white mud and hot mineral water…..
……..
Alice laughed. “There’s no use trying,” she said: “one can’t believe impossible things.”
“I dare say you haven’t had much practice,” said the Queen. “When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast …” (Alice Through The Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll)
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Keeping On
We’ve been working this week on a thorough plan for our Dominican Republic trip. It’s going well, though taking a bit longer than we’d thought. We have pretty much ruled out the southwestern portion of the country due to a lack of tourism and accessibility. There is a lot left to plan, but we are still on course to be set and ready for our nearing departure date.
Andy continues his volunteering. The dog walking at the Humane Society is still going strong, while the Literacy Council winds down; one student has decided to leave the program having put in a solid two years, and the other has moved away. Andy is considering increasing his time spent with the dogs both because there is a great need, and because he thoroughly enjoys it!
Also this week, Evan made an announcement to his mom; we had eluded to the fact that he has been doing quite a bit of learning, but we have held back on the specifics, because it was important to him to settle into this new pursuit without outside influence. The short version is that he is completing his bachelor’s degree. This week is spring break, so he has spent some time away from studies and now is getting organized for next term: sex and gender, primate studies, statistics, and social psychology. He was already half way to a degree, and since returning to his studies, he has completed two terms at this university. The degree he is completing is in Anthropology/Sociology (Anthropology emphasis) with a minor in Religious Studies.
We are spending more time enjoying the lovely place we live as well as focusing on lovely places abroad. In that vein, we went out the Mt. Baker Highway to an eagle nesting park yesterday. We missed the season to see the eagles, but it was beautiful and scenic, and it felt really good to be somewhere so lovely having traveled only 20minutes from home.
.....
"and if we are not willing to listen to our own voices, then why should anyone else bother?" (Toinette Lippe)
Andy continues his volunteering. The dog walking at the Humane Society is still going strong, while the Literacy Council winds down; one student has decided to leave the program having put in a solid two years, and the other has moved away. Andy is considering increasing his time spent with the dogs both because there is a great need, and because he thoroughly enjoys it!
Also this week, Evan made an announcement to his mom; we had eluded to the fact that he has been doing quite a bit of learning, but we have held back on the specifics, because it was important to him to settle into this new pursuit without outside influence. The short version is that he is completing his bachelor’s degree. This week is spring break, so he has spent some time away from studies and now is getting organized for next term: sex and gender, primate studies, statistics, and social psychology. He was already half way to a degree, and since returning to his studies, he has completed two terms at this university. The degree he is completing is in Anthropology/Sociology (Anthropology emphasis) with a minor in Religious Studies.
We are spending more time enjoying the lovely place we live as well as focusing on lovely places abroad. In that vein, we went out the Mt. Baker Highway to an eagle nesting park yesterday. We missed the season to see the eagles, but it was beautiful and scenic, and it felt really good to be somewhere so lovely having traveled only 20minutes from home.
.....
"and if we are not willing to listen to our own voices, then why should anyone else bother?" (Toinette Lippe)
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Mulching, England, and, of course, the DR
It's been an exciting week! Firstly, we have really followed through on some big projects in the garden designed to make it less work therefore easier to leave for extended periods. We'd already done a lot of mulching and shrub planting in both the front and back, but this week we picked up 18 Leyland Cyprus trees and ordered more mulch. Yesterday we worked for 9 hours and lined the whole north edge of the back garden with trees and mulch; this should create a nice barrier between us and the trucking company next door- very nice.
Secondly, we are going to England this summer. It's been longer than normal between visits, and one reason is the high prices of flights. Well, just before we went to Florida, a woman hit Evan in the old Honda. The settlement was enough for us to buy tickets to London with a stopover in Reykjavik, Iceland! So we are all booked up there and looking forward to it.
That means we are set for the next number of months with travel plans. The focus now is getting really organized with our DR trip next month. The purpose is to feel the vibe of different areas, look at the possibilities of charity start up: rent, local contacts, etc. This week we'll be mapping out our route, setting up accommodation, and refining the questions we'll need to be keeping in mind while there.
So..... onward and upward!
Secondly, we are going to England this summer. It's been longer than normal between visits, and one reason is the high prices of flights. Well, just before we went to Florida, a woman hit Evan in the old Honda. The settlement was enough for us to buy tickets to London with a stopover in Reykjavik, Iceland! So we are all booked up there and looking forward to it.
That means we are set for the next number of months with travel plans. The focus now is getting really organized with our DR trip next month. The purpose is to feel the vibe of different areas, look at the possibilities of charity start up: rent, local contacts, etc. This week we'll be mapping out our route, setting up accommodation, and refining the questions we'll need to be keeping in mind while there.
So..... onward and upward!
"So after all is said and done, I know I'm not the only one. Life indeed can be fun, if you really want to..." (Des'ree)
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Cash flow and balloons
Our weekly post … (as usual) we’ve been busy, and it seems like we are being supported in our goals. Hot on the heels of last weeks posting, we spent most of the day figuring out and defining our focus in the other areas of our lives that we have dreams and plans for, such as travel, simplicity, financial, and international areas. A little problem with cash flow (as we save towards financial independence and retirement before anything else) was solved with a nice tax return and a generous settlement for the total write off of the old beat up Honda! We had been planning to donate it when we bought our new car as the trade in was very small. Then it was hit a few weeks ago, and so now it has been totaled by the offending party’s insurance company, and is being taken away with a nice cash sum. Worked out just fine in the end!
So with plan in hand, it looks like the rest of the year is going to be exciting and eventful. We are wanting to visit England some time this year to see Andy’s mum and dad’s new house, as well as making the customary quick trip to Europe … Evan’s pick this time … possible Dubrovnik, Berlin, Lisbon or Krakow! Next will be a trip to Beijing to hike the Great Wall of China. We have had to postpone a re-visit to Nepal until next year – both the orphanage and the massage clinic have asked us back, so it was hard to postpone it but it will happen soon. Both places have offered us accommodation too, so that was really nice as well.
We have made some exciting steps in other areas but for now they are top secret!!!
Next week, we’ll talk more about our upcoming trip to the Dominican Republic and what our plans are for that visit. 
So with plan in hand, it looks like the rest of the year is going to be exciting and eventful. We are wanting to visit England some time this year to see Andy’s mum and dad’s new house, as well as making the customary quick trip to Europe … Evan’s pick this time … possible Dubrovnik, Berlin, Lisbon or Krakow! Next will be a trip to Beijing to hike the Great Wall of China. We have had to postpone a re-visit to Nepal until next year – both the orphanage and the massage clinic have asked us back, so it was hard to postpone it but it will happen soon. Both places have offered us accommodation too, so that was really nice as well.
We have made some exciting steps in other areas but for now they are top secret!!!
Next week, we’ll talk more about our upcoming trip to the Dominican Republic and what our plans are for that visit.
Here we are with the stars of the movie "Up" - from our recent trip to Disney. We queued for a while to get to them, but it meant a lot (strangely ... because yes we know they are not really the cartoon characters in the movie, but rather probably pissed off Disney employees wearing overlarge hot uncomfortable costumes ....) as the movie is so terrific and inspiring. If you haven't seen it, you should. We seemed to have identified with the old man, who rather than give in and move to a nursing home, follows his dreams, attaches thousands of helium balloons to his house and takes off on an adventure to a remote, tropical paradise .... (hint).
……
“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you’ve imagined.” (Henry Thoreau)
……
“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you’ve imagined.” (Henry Thoreau)
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Art, labyrinths and other stuff
This week we have spent time considering all the dreams and goals we have set for ourselves over the last few months and the balances between them. We have spent most time on the charity/non-profit project, perhaps at times to the detriment of our other goals – in the areas of travel, financial, relationship, simplicity, and overseas living. So this week we’ve looked at balancing that a little more. With the plans going ahead to investigate the possibility of opening an non-profit in the Dominican Republic, we have started again to look more closely at these other areas. How exciting! More to follow.
We also had a lot of fun picking out several hundred dollars of art that Evan had traded massages for with a well known local artist, Ben Mann. We got to wander around and pick whatever pictures we wanted. So now we have a large tropical island picture scene and some dancing skeletons for us, and a flower bouquet for a house warming present for Andy’s mum and dad (as they move to the coast this week from London) – all pictures in the well known style of Ben.
To celebrate our commitment to moving further forward with all our dreams and goals, we are having a paving stone placed in the local labyrinth that is being built in town this summer. Labyrinths are the ancient walking meditation tool where you walk slowly and contemplatively around a spiraling pathway to the center and back. They are often found in the old churches of Europe. We have chosen our inscription to remind us and others of our personal power, using part of a phrase from Ghandi – “Be the change.” It is going to be built in August 2010!
Things are happening now!
………
“Be the change you wish to see in the world” (Ghandi)
We also had a lot of fun picking out several hundred dollars of art that Evan had traded massages for with a well known local artist, Ben Mann. We got to wander around and pick whatever pictures we wanted. So now we have a large tropical island picture scene and some dancing skeletons for us, and a flower bouquet for a house warming present for Andy’s mum and dad (as they move to the coast this week from London) – all pictures in the well known style of Ben.
To celebrate our commitment to moving further forward with all our dreams and goals, we are having a paving stone placed in the local labyrinth that is being built in town this summer. Labyrinths are the ancient walking meditation tool where you walk slowly and contemplatively around a spiraling pathway to the center and back. They are often found in the old churches of Europe. We have chosen our inscription to remind us and others of our personal power, using part of a phrase from Ghandi – “Be the change.” It is going to be built in August 2010!
Things are happening now!
………
“Be the change you wish to see in the world” (Ghandi)
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Next Stop DR
We are booked! We are off to the Dominican Republic in a couple of months to see if it is a good fit for our project. Exciting, huh!? We’ll be researching specific areas we think might work for a charity coffee shop (phase one of the community center).
Last weekend Gina flew up and we all went into Canada for the Olympics. It was brilliant! It actually went very smoothly. Easy border crossings, and Andy’s plan to park and ride the sky train into Vancouver was perfect. We went to the Yaletown Live City Venue which was a site with huge screens to watch Olympic events amongst enthusiastic Olympic fans. There were food stalls and various presenters as well. It was great to be a part of the vibe. We also made our way to the Olympic Cauldron; also a very cool thing to see in person. Thanks to Gina for coming up so we had the motivation to go. We’re so glad we did.
" Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." (Abraham Lincoln)
Last weekend Gina flew up and we all went into Canada for the Olympics. It was brilliant! It actually went very smoothly. Easy border crossings, and Andy’s plan to park and ride the sky train into Vancouver was perfect. We went to the Yaletown Live City Venue which was a site with huge screens to watch Olympic events amongst enthusiastic Olympic fans. There were food stalls and various presenters as well. It was great to be a part of the vibe. We also made our way to the Olympic Cauldron; also a very cool thing to see in person. Thanks to Gina for coming up so we had the motivation to go. We’re so glad we did.
" Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." (Abraham Lincoln)
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Getting stuck in
Returning from any time away is usually challenging for us, and this time is no exception. The time away gives us enough space to have some genuine perspective on our lives, and it is clear we have a lot to do to reach our goals. This is not a bad thing. It is a good gauge to use; how do we feel about our lives in comparison with how we feel when away from our routine? The answers tell us which way to go. In this case, we clearly are on the right path in regards to our project, but we need to have more fun on the way to getting there.
We have spent the first few days back both settling in and developing a financial plan to make our dreams, including the project, come true. All is really looking good. It is do-able with some diligence and organization. The key for us is going to be keeping it all interesting as we go along; having new and different adventures that don’t detract financially from the big picture. We are tossing around some ideas about how to best do that. We are also planning a trip to the Dominican Republic to make sure it is a good fit for us and our project. Nothing has been booked yet, but we’ll keep you posted.
The Olympics are being held in Vancouver, BC which is just an hour or so north of us; our friend, Gina, is coming up from California again, and we are all going to head up there this weekend to check out some of the free events. The weather has been gorgeous, so it should be a lot of fun.
.....
"We know what we are, but know not what we may be" (William Shakespeare)
We have spent the first few days back both settling in and developing a financial plan to make our dreams, including the project, come true. All is really looking good. It is do-able with some diligence and organization. The key for us is going to be keeping it all interesting as we go along; having new and different adventures that don’t detract financially from the big picture. We are tossing around some ideas about how to best do that. We are also planning a trip to the Dominican Republic to make sure it is a good fit for us and our project. Nothing has been booked yet, but we’ll keep you posted.
The Olympics are being held in Vancouver, BC which is just an hour or so north of us; our friend, Gina, is coming up from California again, and we are all going to head up there this weekend to check out some of the free events. The weather has been gorgeous, so it should be a lot of fun.
.....
"We know what we are, but know not what we may be" (William Shakespeare)
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Florida Notes II
Just checking in again. Continuing to have a very nice time in Florida. The half marathon went very well - Andy did better than he hoped and came in under the two hour mark - official time 1 hour 55 minutes.
Since the last post we've been to more of the Disney parks, visited the coast and the Everglades, and attempted to see a 4:30 am space shuttle launch - which was crazy mayhem - cars everywhere. Unfortunately, the launch was postponed and we just couldn't make ourselves go through it again for the next planned launch attempt!
We visited Sarasota yesterday and met a cool lady running a fair trade shop and got lots of ideas and suggestions from her. More inspiration for the future. We've also made an effort to get off the beaten path a little, and have seen a very different side of Florida. It's certainly not all beaches and theme parks .... there's some very odd little towns and folks hanging around them!
We're heading back to Bellingham Friday evening, and with a renewed energy to move onward more with the big project plans. Until then, keep warm!
.....
"Promise me you'll always remember: you're braver than you believe, and stonger than you seem, and smarter than you think" (Christopher Robin to Pooh)
Since the last post we've been to more of the Disney parks, visited the coast and the Everglades, and attempted to see a 4:30 am space shuttle launch - which was crazy mayhem - cars everywhere. Unfortunately, the launch was postponed and we just couldn't make ourselves go through it again for the next planned launch attempt!
We visited Sarasota yesterday and met a cool lady running a fair trade shop and got lots of ideas and suggestions from her. More inspiration for the future. We've also made an effort to get off the beaten path a little, and have seen a very different side of Florida. It's certainly not all beaches and theme parks .... there's some very odd little towns and folks hanging around them!
We're heading back to Bellingham Friday evening, and with a renewed energy to move onward more with the big project plans. Until then, keep warm!
.....
"Promise me you'll always remember: you're braver than you believe, and stonger than you seem, and smarter than you think" (Christopher Robin to Pooh)
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Florida notes
Just a quick update for this week. Having a great time in Florida with mum and dad. Race training is going well - big day is this Sunday - hope to beat my personal best and run the 13 miles in under 2 hours... We are also luckily here for a planned sapce shuttle launch on Sunday too ...
We visited Andy's old home a few days ago - now sadly a little run down, and Daytona Beach and St. Augustines - a very nice old (1500's) town onthe coast. Also had some fun at Epcot and the rather excellent Animal Kingdom Disney Park that includes a very authentic Nepali village that made us feel a little homesick for Nepal and our friends there. Mistakenly boarded a 'train ride' which was actually a fast and backwards roller coaster - mum was NOT happy!
Today the sun is shining and we're off to go wildlife spotting at a nearby coastal park (Homonossa Spings) where we hope to see wild manatees.
Having a good time.
We visited Andy's old home a few days ago - now sadly a little run down, and Daytona Beach and St. Augustines - a very nice old (1500's) town onthe coast. Also had some fun at Epcot and the rather excellent Animal Kingdom Disney Park that includes a very authentic Nepali village that made us feel a little homesick for Nepal and our friends there. Mistakenly boarded a 'train ride' which was actually a fast and backwards roller coaster - mum was NOT happy!
Today the sun is shining and we're off to go wildlife spotting at a nearby coastal park (Homonossa Spings) where we hope to see wild manatees.
Having a good time.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Next steps
So, now we have our first choice, we've been learning more about the country and stating to plan our first visit there to begin identifying possible locations and opportunities. It has been an interseting way to proceed with our big dream. Most people who set these kinds of projects up tend to do so after they have visited a place and for some reason, feel attached to it. We wanted to try and be more objective about it - especially as we have visited many different countries, and seen many kinds of organizations in action - including the pitfalls and problems. So our approach was more to determine not only where, but how - the feasibility, the safety, the immigration and red tape aspects..... and now we get to have a little fun.
So, while we are off to Florida to have some R and R with mum and dad, we are starting to look at when we will go to the Dominican Republic - this year definitely, and hopefully soon. Our first visit will be just a short trip to look at the possibilities on the ground level, and to figure out our next steps. We have also been developing a business plan, and want to have that really polished before we go.
So that's where we're at .... and now off to Florida and Mickey and marathons ... and a trip to Hudson to see where Andy used to live...
.......
"Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination" (Oscar Wilde)
So, while we are off to Florida to have some R and R with mum and dad, we are starting to look at when we will go to the Dominican Republic - this year definitely, and hopefully soon. Our first visit will be just a short trip to look at the possibilities on the ground level, and to figure out our next steps. We have also been developing a business plan, and want to have that really polished before we go.
So that's where we're at .... and now off to Florida and Mickey and marathons ... and a trip to Hudson to see where Andy used to live...
.......
"Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination" (Oscar Wilde)
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
And the pick is.........
Having narrowed down our choices to the final nine countries, we were at a loss as to how to move forward. All things weighed together, these nine came out fairly equal according to the criteria we value. It was time to seek some guidance from the Universe.
At first, we couldn’t figure out why we were being directed to Puerto Rico … it’s not particularly needy… it certainly isn’t on our list. Then we realized, Puerto Rico is right next door to Dominican Republic. Should we ever need to, we could actually base ourselves here, Puerto Rico being a U.S. territory. It began to make sense, and since that connection, all things point to Dominican Republic.
We don’t know if this will be the location of our charity, but we do know we have been directed there, so the next step is to look at the Dominican Republic in more detail and plan a trip there to research the possibilities more thoroughly.
We are very excited!
.......
“The time is always right to do what is right.” (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.)
At first, we couldn’t figure out why we were being directed to Puerto Rico … it’s not particularly needy… it certainly isn’t on our list. Then we realized, Puerto Rico is right next door to Dominican Republic. Should we ever need to, we could actually base ourselves here, Puerto Rico being a U.S. territory. It began to make sense, and since that connection, all things point to Dominican Republic.
We don’t know if this will be the location of our charity, but we do know we have been directed there, so the next step is to look at the Dominican Republic in more detail and plan a trip there to research the possibilities more thoroughly.
We are very excited!
.......
“The time is always right to do what is right.” (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.)
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Vanuatu to Madagascar and a few places in between
Oh it’s hard work here … but exciting too. We are researching and studying every day to move our dream project forward. From learning about individual countries, to understanding immigration and business laws, and to dreaming of the possibilities. We thought that each week we’d explain a little more about our process and what is happening. Today … the countries. We are down to 9 now, from an initial list of over 160….
Our first criteria was to identify all the possibilities and not just limit it to countries we had heard of or visited. Using criteria such as the Human Development Index and Gross Domestic Product, we identified all countries that are considered as developing (versus developed). Next, we used broad criteria to narrow the field down – so we looked at how easy it is to obtain visas, disparities between wealth and poverty, safety, access to healthcare, attitudes to homosexuality (gay people are put to death still in a number of countries …), cost of living, and presence of tourism (for needed funds for the project).
This brought the list down to a possible 49! Still a way to go, so more in-depth research was called for, and narrowing the list down to 16 definite candidates . This list has been our focus this week. Time to use more stringent guidelines, including desirability to us – as we may be there for extended times eventually. So here are the final nine based on all of these (and some more) criteria:
Cape Verde Islands, Vanuatu, Madagascar, Vietnam, Namibia, El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Panama and South Africa.
Quite a list! And quite a lot of difference between them. Some are higher in our rankings than others, and we hope to narrow it down to the final two or three in the next few days. And then comes the fun part – we would next visit the first choice and see!
Juggling this around our upcoming trip to meet up with Andy’s mum and dad in Florida, a trip to Vancouver to see the Winter Olympics, a trip down to California in the spring, and the plan to go and teach in Nepal ….. we hope we can make it all come together ….. Stay tuned!
……..
“When your heart speaks, take good notes.” (Judith Campbell)
Our first criteria was to identify all the possibilities and not just limit it to countries we had heard of or visited. Using criteria such as the Human Development Index and Gross Domestic Product, we identified all countries that are considered as developing (versus developed). Next, we used broad criteria to narrow the field down – so we looked at how easy it is to obtain visas, disparities between wealth and poverty, safety, access to healthcare, attitudes to homosexuality (gay people are put to death still in a number of countries …), cost of living, and presence of tourism (for needed funds for the project).
This brought the list down to a possible 49! Still a way to go, so more in-depth research was called for, and narrowing the list down to 16 definite candidates . This list has been our focus this week. Time to use more stringent guidelines, including desirability to us – as we may be there for extended times eventually. So here are the final nine based on all of these (and some more) criteria:
Cape Verde Islands, Vanuatu, Madagascar, Vietnam, Namibia, El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Panama and South Africa.
Quite a list! And quite a lot of difference between them. Some are higher in our rankings than others, and we hope to narrow it down to the final two or three in the next few days. And then comes the fun part – we would next visit the first choice and see!
Juggling this around our upcoming trip to meet up with Andy’s mum and dad in Florida, a trip to Vancouver to see the Winter Olympics, a trip down to California in the spring, and the plan to go and teach in Nepal ….. we hope we can make it all come together ….. Stay tuned!
……..
“When your heart speaks, take good notes.” (Judith Campbell)
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Our Big Plans
As promised, here are our plans for the coming year. We are in the process of developing a charity business venture. As most of us know, the balance of power and wealth in this world is unequal. We want to do our part to help equalize this imbalance through providing training, employment, and education for disadvantaged people in a developing nation. We plan to achieve this through the founding of an uncommon community center in a developing country that will offer free to low cost therapy, English language learning classes, community resources and education, as well as providing employment and work skills training through the project’s coffee shop and bed and breakfast.
We have been hard at work developing a business plan, establishing priorities and goals, and researching resources and potential locations. From a possible 160 plus countries, we have narrowed the possibilities down to 16. We are currently narrowing this down further to our top 3 picks. We’ll talk more about that process, the countries, and our criteria next blog.
We have also been in contact with Seeing Hands and have been invited back this year. We are hoping this will fit in with our commitments to our project as we would love to go back. Over the next week or so we’ll have to make some decisions.
On a lighter note, our friend, Gina, came up from California, and she and Andy opened up a time capsule from 10 years ago. Included in the contents were letters written 10 years ago to our future selves.
……
“Of different stripes, we dance as one, in a celebration of unity and joy!” (Unknown)
We have been hard at work developing a business plan, establishing priorities and goals, and researching resources and potential locations. From a possible 160 plus countries, we have narrowed the possibilities down to 16. We are currently narrowing this down further to our top 3 picks. We’ll talk more about that process, the countries, and our criteria next blog.
We have also been in contact with Seeing Hands and have been invited back this year. We are hoping this will fit in with our commitments to our project as we would love to go back. Over the next week or so we’ll have to make some decisions.
On a lighter note, our friend, Gina, came up from California, and she and Andy opened up a time capsule from 10 years ago. Included in the contents were letters written 10 years ago to our future selves.
……
“Of different stripes, we dance as one, in a celebration of unity and joy!” (Unknown)
Friday, January 1, 2010
New Year
Happy New Year
..........
"And now let us welcome the new year - full of things that have never been"
Rainer Maria Rilke
..........
"Be the change you wish to see in the world..."
Gandhi
..........
New year ... new start ... new opportunities ...
..........
"And now let us welcome the new year - full of things that have never been"
Rainer Maria Rilke
..........
"Be the change you wish to see in the world..."
Gandhi
..........
New year ... new start ... new opportunities ...
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