Midwest Gypsy

This morning I had a great conversation with my older brother who lives in St. Louis. He asked how things were going (he knows about “the plan”) and I told him about a blog I stumbled upon (as so often happens when clicking randomly on links) that listed seventeen great websites for finding freelance jobs, according to the anonymous author. Since then I have spent most of today “developing my profile” and obsessively taking online tests so as to boost my credibility to potential employers. I am very surprised and extremely encouraged by the opportunities that await anyone who wants to freelance.

One of oDesk.com’s requirements is that the freelancer have a Skype account, so I downloaded the app. I remembered watching The Jetsons cartoon when I was a kid and thinking how cool it would be to see the person you were on the phone with, like when George talked to his boss at Spacely Space Sprockets. Fast-forward fifty or so years…this is how business gets done these days!

The magazine for which I write, Hoptown Families, has been increased from a quarterly to a bi-monthly publication, which is great news for all concerned. One of the stories I’ve been assigned is to view Hopkinsville through the eyes of a transplant, and in doing so, I am reminded of why I love to travel, don’t mind moving, and why I’ve called thirteen places “home:” everything is new, unique, surprising. I am grateful to see those qualities instead of believing what I hear so often, “There’s nothing to do here.”

Hopkinsville’s biggest draw, as far as I can see, is its location. Within a short drive are three state parks, thirteen city parks, the Land Between the Lakes, a water park, a scuba diving training facility and diving attraction, farms to pick strawberries, blueberries and peaches, and countless other outdoor recreation activities. I’ve lived in San Diego, Washington, DC, south Florida, and Pensacola Beach, and none of them had such diverse options for outdoor enthusiasts as Hopkinsville. The more I wrote about Hoptown’s strong points, the more the decision to downsize and possibly leave tugged at my heart.

Trying to relate to someone who has never lived anywhere else but home is next-to-impossible for me, even though I had not even been out of my own home state until I was about twenty. I have since then discovered just how immense our country is and how fortunate we are to have the freedom to travel and explore this great nation; the possibilities are mind-blowing. I suppose it all boils down to finally getting up the courage to make a move (no pun intended.) It takes getting out of one’s comfort zone.

I love and believe in the saying, “everything you’ve ever wanted is just one step beyond your comfort zone.” With faith and open-mindedness, the road ahead is not at all intimidating and the journey thus far has been educational at the very least. The next few months will be interesting, for sure!

I had three extremely excellent conversations yesterday. All were different in nature, but all were intriguing and thought-provoking. At a time when “communication” takes place by mostly technical means, face-to-face and telephone conversations are special. At least, they are to me.

The first was with one of the security guards at school. Our paths have crossed for more than a year; we have waved “Hey!” but never spoke at any length. Born and raised in Christian County and graduated from Austin Peay, he was at one time a young photo-journalist covering celebrities, among them Alice Cooper, KISS, and Alabama. Not at all a typical career path for a boy from Western Kentucky. So we talked about what it’s like being different, having neither encouragement nor role-models, being fulfilled and content. It wasn’t particularly deep, but it could have been.

A short while later, one of my Japanese ESL students came in to visit. She journals in English, and each week she comes to pick up the one that was dropped off last week to be reviewed by me, and to drop off an other one. Of course, we have a few minutes of “small talk” when we talk about the past weekend, her family and such; I get such a kick from witnessing how her confidence with the language is growing!

I occasionally remind my students via email that even though we won’t have another class until August, I am available to help them with any situations that may be confusing. They haven taken me up on the offer, too. So far, I’ve explain funeral rituals in the U.S., how to request a refund of a portion of an extended car warranty, and how to send something important via FedEx.

Yesterday I was asked to help my friend complete a power-of-attorney form. She has a hard decision to make: whether to go back to Japan at the end of the year as an entire family, or allow her daughter (who will be a senior in high school) to live with her music teacher and graduate with her class. Completion of the form was “just in case.”

Finally, I got a call from my good friend in Virginia. We were both liveaboards at Gangplank Marina in Washington, D.C. in 1994 and we were everyday walking buddies. She and her husband are also in the midst of transitioning to RVing full-time. She called to say she’d been following my blogs and laughs, commenting that even though our destinations are the same, our journeys are completely different. I encouraged her to jot down a little something each day to help her remember these times, for “we shall never pass this way again.” I hope she does; she has good ideas to share.

Amazingly, each of these conversations was pretty much about the same thing…being true to one’s self when making major life decisions in spite of the challenges. How incredible that these conversations happened when they did.

http://m.metrolyrics.com/we-may-never-pass-this-way-again-lyrics-seals-and-crofts.html

Ever since I stopped being stubborn and opened my mind to the idea of downsizing with the goal of RVing full-time, I’ve been acutely aware of messages that the Universe is sending me. It’s pretty crazy, actually. They are reassuring, and they are encouraging. Though only one-week into my journey, all the signs so far indicate that this is the right path.

I have a morning routine: walk the dogs downtown and back, a little more than a couple of miles. We’re back by six, and the next hour is spent reading, sipping coffee, and journaling. Now I’m trying to incorporate the time to blog every day; do I jot down notes throughout the day and write all at once? Or should I take the time to stop whatever I’m doing and write whenever an idea strikes? Either way, I’m looking at an hour at least, every day, and that thought thrills me! Writing is something I love to do.

Daily Word is the first thing I read each day. It is not coincidence that the theme of each message for the past seven mornings has been related to change and transition and being supported during those times.

Just as wildflowers bloom and flourish on rocky mountainside, my life can thrive in less-than-ideal conditions. It is not outer, but inner conditions that determine my health and well-being.. Within me is all the wisdom to make loving, life-affirming choices. Within me is all I need to thrive.

I believe in a higher power whom I call God even though I do not practice any particular religion anymore. I believe that anything we can dream to do is possible, or else we wouldn’t have had the thought to begin with. So it was a delightful surprise to get this email message from Thoughtful Mind:

Dreams…
“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” ― Harriet Tubman

Spending time each morning reading and communicating with God sets the stage for the remainder of my day. So to have read those two powerful pieces first thing in the morning confirmed, to me at least, that a miraculous power is manifesting itself to me now.

What I read next was not a coincidence. My immediate family is agnostic, and I couldn’t wait to share this with my daughter. She seemed to appreciate it.

Deep down in every man, woman, and child is the fundamental idea of a God. It may be obscured by calamity, by pomp, by worship of other things, but in some form or other it is there. For faith in a Power greater than ourselves, and miraculous demonstrations of that Power in human lives are facts as old as man himself.

I love my mornings. I am uplifted and I’m in a positive mood to face the day, which always helps. That reminds me! I need to check my horoscope.

I’ll take it!

Day 4.
Bobby, my grandson, really likes baseball. I mean, REALLY likes baseball. Apparently that’s all he talks about and all he wants to do. His mom is getting tired of hearing about it all the time, though; being asked to play catch several times a day, watching Yadier Molina-videos on YouTube, it never ends. He checks out only baseball books at the library, and stays up reading until lights go out at nine. He’s in the midst of watching the Ken Burns’ documentary. He reads the sports pages of the Washington-Post. He will turn eight years old soon, and will be one of the youngest ones at a baseball camp his mom signed him up for. He will think this is the best summer of his entire life.

I think this summer will be a good one, too. It certainly started on a interesting note. I am really beginning to like the idea of downsizing, or maybe it’s that I am already seeing a noticeable change for the better in the newly found space in my dresser drawers.

I have always liked the times I carried a lighter load, but to get to that point was an overwhelming process, whether it was voluntary or not (as was the case with Hurricane Katrina.) I have begun to look at “stuff” with a critical eye, especially when I’m folding laundry. I’m getting rid of clothes that require ironing, for example, because I’m guessing I won’t be doing much of that in the RV and the to-be-donated pile is getting bigger.

Health insurance is something that will ultimately determine which state we’ll call “home,” so I’ve been surfing. I’m blown away at how much information is on the ‘net, certainly compared to just a few years ago. Between our past experience and available information, our transition to the next phase of life should be easier than ever before.

We’ve started talking about renting the house and traveling in the RV for at least a year. I’m open. There are many “pros” for this idea, so that’s probably where we should start the transition. Our location is central, quiet, and sought after. It would rent easily.

This morning I was surprised–pleasantly surprised, at that–to learn that our son-in-law (whom I adore) admitted to our daughter last night that he didn’t want us to leave Hopkinsville, especially since he’s trying to get reassigned to Fort Campbell next year. Turns out he thinks the world of us, and hearing that just made my day.

Ever since Monday when I decided to let go and let God (or did I just stop resisting), so many positive things have been happening, unexpectedly, yet easily. I’ve wondered if this is The Law of Attraction at work. The lines of communication between us have been reignited, and it’s pretty neat dreaming again like we did in the old days. Seeing this through is going to be an incredible experience, and I expect we won’t be sorry we did it.