The Plan - Jobs, House, Trip

I mentioned last time that I was waiting to hear what was going to happen with my job when the hubby and I leave for our Round the World Adventure.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Last week Friday I got my answer.

While I am out, they are going to hire a new employee to take my place.  This person will be hired as a temporary employee with the possibility of full-time hire.  Basically, if the newly hired person turns out to be more amazing than me or is set in their role by the time I return, I will have to find a new job.  However, there is the possibility that I will be able to return to my job, depending on the outcome.

The hubby and I have been analyzing a lot of things, reviewing our options, our budget, and different scenarios.

This is where we stand today:

• We will be gone for approximately four months
• Upside:  This allows us enough wiggle room in our budget to keep our house without renting it out, preventing the headache and work of packing up all of our stuff, finding a renter, and paying all the fees of property management. If we can find someone we know who needs a place to stay for a few months, we would happily rent it out to them, but we don't want to have to worry about moving all of our stuff out.
• This also, in theory, might increase the chance of me returning to my job.  The less time the new person has to get comfortable and get into the job, the better the chance that my employers will welcome me back.
• Downside:  This will cause us to have to eliminate some of our destinations in order to get the free-flowing aspect out of our trip.  Which leads me to the next point.
• We are going to focus our attention on some key destinations in South America, and spend the majority of our time exploring Southern and Eastern Europe.
• A key component of this trip is that we have the ability to "not plan" every day, every destination or every experience.  We want to experience more of our world organically, allowing our whims and interactions with other people to guide us along our journey.  By reducing our footprint a bit, we help to ensure that this will be possible.
• The first month or so, in South America, will be a little more planned down to the date and location, simply because of what we want to see and the amount of time we want to see it in.  But once we arrive in (tentatively) Italy, things can start to flow naturally.
• We will leave in February.
• Due to some constraints of our destinations in South America, specifically Machu Picchu, we have pushed back our departure date by a couple weeks.  We really want to hike the Inca trail, but January is, on average, a very rainy month and not the most pleasant time to do it.  The trail is closed in February, but reopens in March.  If we start elsewhere in South America and make our way to that area in the beginning of March, we are *hoping* it will work out that we can hike the trail (weather dependent).  Plus, it's not high season, so we have a much better chance of getting into a hike with the "play it by ear" attitude that we are adopting if the weather isn't cooperating.  (We will still visit Machu Picchu either way, but if it's gross weather we would just take the train...the easy way).

So, that's where things stand now.  It's exciting because we are starting to finalize some  plans and make real decisions.  I am currently working with airtreks.com to figure out our flights, and we hope to book at least our flight out soon!  THEN it will be officially official! ;-)

The Waiting Game

Currently I am in limbo, waiting for some kind of answer from my superiors regarding last week's request and proposal.  The hubby and I decided to propose a leave of four months for us to embark on our round-the-world adventure.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

We felt that this was a good compromise, cutting our leave request by 1/3. It would reduce our time abroad, of course, but we're trying to find that balance of dreams - our travel dreams vs. career dreams.  So, four months is what I proposed and what I am waiting to hear back on.

Each day since this proposal, at least one of my managers has approached me and assured me that they "are working on it" and "talking about it" and it's "not a no" yet.  Yesterday I was feeling very optimistic about everything feeling like I might receive a response and it might be in my favor.  That did not happen.

As much as I'm trying not to stress because it isn't in my hands right now, it's difficult, because it is causing me anxiety no matter how hard I try to pretend it's not.  I am impatient to begin with...and this is a pretty big thing to be waiting on.  However, I keep trying to remind myself that the longer it takes, probably the better the outcome will be because it means they are working on it and trying to come up with a solution.  They aren't just saying "no."

Either way, we have a lot of work to do and heaps of decisions to make.  For now, I'm just trying to remain optimistic and put my trust in my belief that whatever is best for us will be.

Tick. Tock.

Cat's Out of the Bag

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Tuesday I had the conversation that I have been planning for, rehearsing, dreading, and anticipating:  I spoke with my managers about our trip plans and what they mean for my position at the organization.

A lot has happened over the past couple months, personally and at work, causing me to feel a little less comfortable with just saying "goodbye," and wanting to do everything I can to secure my job as a place to come back to after the adventure is complete.  Things have been moving forward for me, I'm accomplishing a lot, and the organization's leadership has changed, culminating in a different type of culture at the top - the one I've been pushing for and wanting since I began working here.  I'm happy at work, happier than I've been, and I see myself moving into the future with this company.  Because of all of that, I decided I needed to tell my bosses as soon as possible about our plans in hopes that we can work something out so that I can "have my cake and eat it too."

The conversations were difficult. The first one went surprisingly well.  The second did not go as well, but I believe that shock and surprise were the culprits of a less-than-favorable, yet not completely surprising reaction.  24 hours later it is already clear that things are on a better path.

At this point, I have been tasked with basically talking with the hub and deciding exactly what we are asking for.  Then, the company will convene and decide if it's something they can give me or not.  It's scary not to be in control, but then again, I know that the true power is in our hands because we know what we want and I am willing to walk away from my job if it means sacrifing my dream.

It's unfortunate and I hope it doesn't have to come to that, but that's not up to me anymore.  I'm feeling relief, although my part is not yet over.  I have a feeling the next few weeks are going to be very intense.

Stay tuned, and wish me luck!

Sharing a Treat: Ball of Light Photography

Due to my love of Australia, interest in photography, and presence on Facebook, I came across some really amazing art this evening that I felt I needed to share.

I stumbled upon an Australian photographer, Denis Smith, who creates what he calls "Ball of Light" photography.  Not only are the pictures amazing and not edited in Photoshop, many of them are of some of the amazing places I myself have visited in Australia.

I'm not sure what I can share without permissions, so you're going to need to just click the link and check it out yourself.  

http://www.denissmith.com.au/

Make sure to read Story --> Ball of Light? so you can understand how it is done.  His blog is pretty neat as well, so if you have a couple minutes, check it out!  (I am also in love with the images in Angkor Wat, Cambodia, as that was part of our honeymoon adventure! (Happy three years tomorrow, hub!)

Incredible.  Unique.  Beautiful.

I'm impressed.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

And now I want to try!

Not All Who Wander Are Lost

How do you travel?  Do you prefer to have it all planned out for you by going on a tour?  Or do you work with a travel agent to plan where you will go and when?  Maybe you do a lot of your own research ahead of time so you are well-informed.  Or are you at the other extreme, where you just go and see what happens?

One summer vacation while in college, the hubby and I (we were just dating at the time) were able to make one of my dreams come true - a much smaller version of the longer-term around the world dream that we are currently working towards.  I wanted to get in the car and "just go."

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

We took five days, packed our car with some clothes, a tent, and food, and took off.  Our only destination was "the ocean."  For us, that meant we were headed east since we were leaving from Buffalo, NY and only had five days. 

The only other rules we had were that we were not going to plan anything ahead of time, we were not allowed to drive on highways (except maybe on the way home if time was tight), and we would go wherever our whims would take us.  We would follow roads that sounded intriguing, visit a random hole-in-the-wall restaurant and discover an amazing meal, flip a coin if we came to a fork in the road and couldn't decide which way to turn, and overall just enjoy the journey and the freedom of it.

It was an amazing trip.

We spent a night at a campground in northeast NY,  drove over gorgeous green Vermont and New Hampshire mountains. We spent a night at a campground and had a pizza delivered to us by a four-wheeler. One night it rained on our tent and we couldn't dry it out, so that was the end of our camping for the trip.  We made it to the ocean in Maine and discovered an adorable (but extremely busy!) beach town, Old Orchard Beach.  We ran into trouble finding a place to stay on a very limited budget.  It was a summer weekend in a popular beach town with limited hotels.  Eventually, we found a crappy motel, paid way too much for it, and made the most of it. We reveled in our accomplishment of reaching the ocean and playing in the crisp, gorgeous water. We paid too much for a hotel in nowhere, Massachesetts. We had our ups and downs, our frustrations and annoyances, and a lot of excitement and fun.

Some of the highlights:

• Turning the car around to get a delicious burger at a random burger joint on the side of the road
• Playing tennis at a stumbled upon tennis court
• Driving down a road just because I liked the name of it
• Eating pizza in a tent that was delivered to us by an old guy on a four-wheeler
• Driving over and among beautiful green mountains
• Arriving at the ocean and playing in the water, despite its chilly temperature and large waves
• Overcoming frustrations by working as a team and stepping up for each other
• Being in a car with my best friend, with the radio playing our favorite songs and the windows rolled down
• The feeling of freedom and adventure
• Knowing that we had everything we needed to reach our goal and have an adventure

This was just a small snippet of a trip in comparison to our upcoming six (plus?) month adventure, but somehow I know now, just like I knew then, that we'd be ok, we can do it, we'll make it work. 

I can't wait for that feeling of freedom, spontaneity, and adventure...in an amount that I've never felt before!

Do you ever travel like this?  With limited or no plans, letting yourself "just go" and see where the journey takes you?

Garage Sale-ing

A couple weeks ago we held the big "garage sale" that we had been planning all summer.  The same garage sale I secretly was afraid wouldn't happen due to weather or unexpected engagements.  The same garage sale that we collected stuff for in boxes in the basement since spring, but I was afraid wouldn't amount to enough things to make it worthwhile.  The same garage sale that we continued to bring out stuff to sell while it was in progress.  The same garage sale that continues to this day, as we have some of the remaining items on Craigslist.

I am happy to report that we made a very satisfying amount of money, cleaned out a lot of "junk" that other people could use, and even had some fun!

We made almost $450 at our garage sale over two days.  We made over $60 more on Craigslist in the day that followed.  And we're not done!

Pretty awesome.  That money covers our backpacks and then some, although we already bought those, so it's much more fun to think about what $500 might get us on our RTW adventure:

• Visas for both of us for Russia
• A month in a private room in a hostel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• Both of us to fly from Mumbai, India to Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• Cost of one of us to hike the Inca Trail in Peru with a guide and porter
• 50 steak dinners for two in Buenos Aires, Argentina
• Full day of scuba diving in the Galapagos for two(with rentals and National Park fees)

Now, these are just SOME of the amazing things that this money could get us!

It's great to know that our time and effort paid off, people can use the stuff that we considered "junk" and "clutter," and we have a little boost to our trip fund.  Not too shabby.

I figure it's only right that I share some of my Garage Sale Tips:

• Signage is key!  We didn't advertise, but we live off of a few highly trafficked roads and used that to our advantage.  We had bright yellow plastic signs that stuck in the ground.  The text was bold and readable, contained our address, and arrows pointing in the direction of our house.  There were also subsequent signs that potential buyers would see along the way to direct them to our house in case they were unfamiliar with the area.  An early-bird garage saler even complimented us on our "A+" signage!
• Organization is appreciated!  We had a futon, small table, chairs, pillows and throw blankets for sale.  We arranged them into a room-like setting, decorating carefully.  I also made a board for displaying my jewelry, so the necklaces could hang freely and everything was visible.  We sorted items on tables into groups so that housewares were all in one area, books in another, and so on.  As people bought things, we would rearrange to maintain neatness and fill in empty spots.
• Labeling is important!  Put prices on everything!
• Some people are bargainers, others are not.  Don't assume people will always haggle the price down.  Many don't.
• Don't jump the gun!  Don't lower prices prematurely, you could greatly reduce your earnings.  My husband was an anxious bargainer in the first hours of our garage sale, lowering the price on certain items before the person had even made a decision on the labeled price.  We may have lost some valuable dollars.  Later in the day, a pair of women had a small child and as they walked up the sidewalk they immediately began ogling a plush "Nemo."  The price tag was high, even in our eyes.  Hubby wanted to tell them they could have it for half price (without them even approaching, asking, or remarking on the price).  I told him to just wait...they walked around the entire sale with it.  One asked the other what the price was.  She read it, they did not show any signs of shock or outrage at the price and proceeded to come over and pay the asking price.  Score!  On the other hand - towards the end of our sale we knew we would simply be donating most of the stuff that was left.  I walked around and told people that everything was half price.  It may have encouraged a bit of increased spending, it may have simply reduced what we earned, who knows.
• Have fun! We found the people who attended our sale to be friendly (for the most part), entertaining, and just plain fun to talk to.  It was great to hear what amazing uses people had for some of our "clutter", and it made me feel really good about getting rid of everything, on top of the money we made and additional space we gained in our home!

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Rejuvenation

Hurray!  In just a few minutes we get to embark on another "small adventure along the way" as we head up to my in-laws cabin in the Adirondacks.  One of my best girlfriends is flying in (in just under an hour!), we're picking her up from the airport and driving away.

It's going to be a great weekend with the hubby's parents, my great friend, and each other.  I plan to hike, paddle, drink, read, maybe swim, run, eat, write, and relax.

It is sure to be a much-needed time of rejuvenation.

I wonder what our lives will be like when we're on our long-term adventure.  What will we need to "rejuvenate" when we're on the road constantly? 

Rejuvenation for us tends to mean getting out of our routine, clearing our minds of all the things we "have" to do, spending time with the people we love or alone with each other, and oftentimes we both find great rejuvenation from spending time outdoors, in nature. 

I'm guessing there will be a few splurges on decent hotel rooms where we just hang out, relax, and enjoy each other's company.  Maybe we'll find a hidden place to camp in the middle of nature away from it all.  Maybe it will be enough to sit on a beach gazing at the calming ocean for an hour. Maybe getting away from the day-to-day of work, chores, errands, and home stressors will be enough and the whole trip will be one big period of rejuvenation.

What rejuvenates you?