It’s a good thing I wrote a little yesterday morning, because the rest of the day involved working on the projects I have due. I am trying so hard to get them done so I can do some of the other things I have to get done.

I did get a call, from a place in Nashville. One of the many places I filled out the forms online for employment, which you almost never hear back from, called me, wanting to hire me. The message said they loved my resume and when could I start. I had to call them back and explain how I am no longer going to be in Nashville, as planned, but instead will be in St. Charles, MO.

I have been less than impressed with the new way people are hired these days. It’s not just me, my kids and friends have all gone through the same thing. You fill out extremely long, very detailed applications and then never hear back from the company. My least favorite part of the experience is when they ask you to attache your resume, but then on the application they have you fill out every detail of your resume, including names of supervisors and phone numbers. Some of my previous employers do not even exist!

In the educational field they also tend to want you to supply references, with letters. Who am I supposed to ask to send out many, (not 1-2, but many!) letters of recommendation? Not only do they want the references to be work references, but a couple of them wanted only direct supervisors! I have one, and that poor man has already responded to multiple requests on my behalf. Do these places think we are only applying at one place? And do they not realize that until we are one of the final people in consideration, they do not need a reference? Many state that without all of the required information you will not even be considered for the position, so you must include the references, your transcripts, a completed application (some have been 10 pages long!) a cover letter written specifically for the position, and your resume, tailored to the position you are applying for.

With all of this for one single position, you can imagine how much time and effort it takes to apply to many places, and how frustrating it is when you don’t hear back from one of these places after all the hoops you jump through.

My frustration with this has started once again since I will be heading to St. Charles, MO, and I would like to be a substitute teacher, but the process includes all of the things I mentioned above, plus fingerprinting and background check. I can’t even start on that until I finish my projects for the summer semester, which are due Sunday!

I do not think there is an alternative to this new way of hiring, and sometimes when I see the requirements, I think it is the company’s way of eliminating the people who are not serious about the position. However, those of us with the need for employment really have no choice and will continue to fill out ridiculously long applications hoping to receive a call like the one I did, only hopefully in the same city I will be living in. Many times, the positions listed, already have someone, many times on the inside, already in mind, and are only fulfilling their legal duties by listing the jobs. This means that the hoops so many people are jumping through are completely pointless, and you never even have a chance for that job. This seems the most ridiculous part of all. However, it’s their job and they can hire whoever they want, so we have to play their game in hopes of getting that one call.

Ironically, I would have been set up in Nashville, with a job, my gym, my scooter, in a place close to downtown. Instead, I will head to St. Charles, with no job, no gym, no scooter, and living in a tiny town, near St. Louis. Despite all of this, I am excited about St. Charles and optimistic I will work out all of the details and have a great time there. Most importantly, I will get the chance to attend my graduation in December. I did not go to my Bachelor’s Degree graduation, but this one, for some reason, I want to attend.

Now, back to the projects, which I only have parts of two to complete, and turn in. I am exhausted today, but like a runner nearing the end of the marathon, I feel that second wind coming on, so I am off to get this work done and the summer semester completed!

Have a great day!

Wrigley, tired of my schoolwork

Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.  ~World Health Organization, 1948

Portion control is the real reason I do not weigh what I did on my wedding day, (132 lbs). I felt fat that day, because I was always comparing myself to my skinnier friends. I have not weighed that little since then, although I got down to 135 after each pregnancy, until the last baby, and for some reason I have not been able to get within 25 pounds of that weight since. I would blame it on my underactive thyroid, but I know only about 20 pounds is due to that terrible twist of fate. The rest is because I eat a lot. I wish I did not like to eat huge portions, and I wish 2-3 bites of some delectable food would suffice, but for me, more is better.

As a kid, I was the star member of the clean plate food club, and I reveled in pleasing the adults in my life with the huge portions I could consume. It should have been a sign that at 12 years old I could eat the same amount of food a grown man could eat, yet, I was praised for my “healthy appetite”, which only made me seek more of the same.

I know we are a product of our past, but it should never be an excuse, once we learn better. My thyroid condition is not good, in fact, I know it has many side affects which I cannot control, despite taking the medicine prescribed, religiously for the past 26 years. And then there’s my genes, which are not the best. Every female in my family tree is at least 50 pounds overweight, some many, many more.

At my heaviest, I was more than 110 pounds over my wedding day weigh in, and the most unhealthy I have ever been. I managed to shed 60 pounds from that high, unhealthy weight, but I have been at a standstill since then.

I have not been perfect, because every now and then I want some treat, but I have been pretty good about eating a much healthier diet, with more fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains. I have practically eliminated all dairy and meat, eating them only on special occasions, and adding juicing when possible. All of this, in addition to 4-5 trips to the gym weekly, with other daily exercise, has still kept me at a standstill, and I know why.

I started following my exercise with the fitbit by BodyMedia earlier in the year, but started to record the food I ate a couple of weeks ago. I put in all of my food and when I checked, even with a mostly vegan diet, I managed to take in as many calories as I was working off! And despite what some people think, it is all a matter of calories in and calories out. Eating 2500 calories is not going to move the scale, even if the calories are made of wholesome foods.

The bottom line is this; I have realized the real problem, and now I need to address it. I can work out, and be in better shape, have more muscles, but until I quit eating such large portions, I will remain overweight. This is hard to face, and even harder to deal with, because I am that person who eats when I am tired, bored, stressed, anxious, etc. I am an emotional eater and I know it. Maybe admitting it and working harder on that will help?

I remember in the series Sex and the City, Miranda attended Overeater’s Anonymous and had to pass a Donut place to attend the meetings, and finally she and the guy she met there, split a donut at that place. I liked how Mike and Molly met at an OA meeting too, so maybe it is a great pickup place? I should look into meetings once I get to St. Charles, because they may help. I am a part of a couple of groups online, and have seen others with this same struggle. Having a support system and accountability seem to help a lot of people.

Writing about this is not easy. It is hard to admit that each day, my food choices take up so much of my mental energy, and are so hard to get a hold of. I am going to continue to record my food, and keep track of my exercise, in hopes of making strides toward my goal. I have set my goal of weighing what an average American woman weighs, by my birthday this year (October). I saw an infograph which told me I needed to lose a few pounds to get there, and it made me decide to make that my goal.

I hope you will join me on this quest for eating more whole foods, in smaller quantities, and exercising to feel better. I will keep you posted on my progress.

When the phone rang, first thing in the morning, my first thought shot back to the early morning call in March which I answered by saying how much I loved to get calls first thing in the morning because it must be good news. It was the worst news. So, instead I used the usual, groggy hello.

Jonathan had told me he expected to hear from the man in Wichita this morning, so this was probably about the call we had expected. Jonathan was doing news in Havre, Montana, getting ready for a cold winter season, but still very much hoping for a call from a place where sports is the main focus. He would tell me here and there that this job or that was open, and we would put together his info and send it. We were pretty resigned to his living in Havre for a year or more before he might get “the call”.

He joined a bowling team, a trivia team and was starting a local favorite: curling, soon. He bought furniture and was pretty settled in. Then he saw this job was opened and because it was in Wichita, near his brother, and in a top 100 market, Jonathan was excited. The part that was even more intriguing to him was the 2 hour sports talk show every afternoon. Jonathan wanted this the most. Jonathan sent him his information, and after a phone interview, the guy asked for salary requirements, which is usually a good sign. The guy did not call him back after he sent him his salary requirements, which were really low, so we did not know why. In fact after we heard nothing, I told Jonathan, it can’t hurt to contact him. He will know you are interested, so contact him. He did write an email, and for some reason, the guy jumped right on it! His only concern was he needed someone to do news as well. Jonathan has been doing this for months, so he told the guy he’d send that day’s newscast in the evening.

After work, Jonathan called me and we listened back to his news, which is very good, and then formed an email to accompany it. I told him, I knew he would not be eliminated because of his news reports. They are solid, so if that is the only requirement left, he had no worries. But we have been on the brink of a great position before, only to have something fall through, so we have become optimistically reserved.

I took a deep breath as I put the phone to my ear, hopping for the best, “Mom, I’m moving to Wichita!” he said, in the most excited tone. I wanted all of the details but I was so happy I could barely contain myself from yelling to the rooftops! I know I am his mom, but I truly believe all he needs is a break like this. He can’t wait to pack up all of his things and get to Wichita. We discussed the 2 week notice rule and that is what he will do, so he has two weeks to get all of his things moved the 19 hour drive South East. This puts him back in the Midwest, only 3 hours from David, but most importantly, it gives him the radio opportunity he has dreamed of.

As a little guy, he came with me to work the day Dan Patrick was working out of the Chicago Studios. He met Dan and he hung out in the ESPN 1000 studios watching Dan through the glass, do his show. Now he will be on the radio, the same airwaves that his hero Dan Patrick will be airing daily. The station airs Dan’s show earlier in the day. How cool is that?

Jonathan has a lot to do, and it will be hard to move to another strange place and meet new people. It is always hard to start a new job, with new bosses, new equipment to learn, and new protocol, but the excitement in Jonathan’s voice tells me that is all a non-issue. I knew there could be good news calls first thing in the morning, and this one was it. We discussed all the details and then he said “Mom, I know I don’t tell you enough, but  I really appreciate all your help. I wouldn’t be here without you.” Yes you would, but glad I could help you realize your dream.

Good luck Jonathan, I am super proud; you have worked hard and  you deserve it. I know you will be awesome! I love you.

 

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.” 

–Steve Jobs (who passed one year ago, today)

Yes this is true. As I stayed up very late last night to finish the Powerpoint presentation for my class, I was thinking about the time I have spent working, and going to school. I enjoy what I am doing right now, at the resort. It does not pay as much as a “real job” would, but I like it, so far. It is fun to be the “newscaster” for the resort, and to take pictures and post them.

How much should money play a part in what you do? If you can do something you enjoy, isn’t that worth the difference in pay. I have always believed it was. I can spend less on frivolous things, and have a lot less stress. Maybe in the long run, will I save the money in healthcare, or in care for some disease which sets in due to the stress I was experiencing.

I think getting paid a lot of money is a great advantage, but if given the choice, I’d prefer less money, and enjoying my days and nights. I see people all of the time on Facebook, just counting down the days until Friday. Is that really living your life? If you plod through five days to get to the two, you are not really enjoying your life.

I remember when I was working at US99, I was so thrilled to be working there, I looked forward to going to work. Of all the jobs I have had, I think that one was the one which paid the least, and I loved every minute of it. I learned so much, and I got to do something I wanted to do, so it was more fun than work.

Although even in the best jobs, there are things you may not want to do, or times you may not feel like doing it, but overall if you enjoy your work, what a wonderful life you will have. And how much better of a job will you do? I know I get more into a job I enjoy than one I am in it only for the pay.

Sam and I judging a Lego competition

On TV the other night, on The MIddle, the mom wanted to start her second career, and looked at all the various avenues, and wondered what she REALLY wanted to do. I think that myself, as I work towards another degree in hopes I can teach audio editing, and communications classes at a University, maybe even some online classes. But as I work towards this education degree I start remembering how much I wanted to teach when I was in grade school. The public teachers went on strike, and I was asked to come in and fill in for one of the lower grades. I was in 8th grade and one of the best students in the school.

The kids were acting like you’d expect kids to act when they knew they had a substitute teacher who was only a few years older than they were. The one kid was throwing spitballs at the blackboard so I told him he had to go to the office. He took his stuff and left the room. At lunchtime, I was called into the Principals office and a lady who was a secretary (which was why she was there and not on strike) told me the boy went home and told his mother I yelled at him and sent him home. I was so upset, because that is not what happened. I may have yelled when I sent him to the office, after he was being a jerk, but still, I did not send him home. While she was admonishing me, she said “And whatever you do, don’t ever become a teacher!”

Later she would come and apologize to me, because other students told her what had really happened. But in that time, her words stuck with me, and I always kept away from thinking I should teach. So, I taught Bible School, CCD and sports, I even taught a kids class of bowling at the Community College one semester. This was something I had always wanted to do, and her words hurt me so badly, I never went in that direction again. In fact, whenever I have thought about teaching, I think I need to teach adults, because the problem I had was with kids. But as I do these various teaching projects, I am really drawn to teaching younger kids.

We take our work seriously.

When I had to answer the questions about Sam, the young lady asked if I had wanted Sam to do something particular, and I thought about how I always wanted my kids to do something they love. I remember Sam coming to me and saying he wanted to attend the one college, and I had a hunch it was because of the bowling team and his friend was talking about it, so I asked him what he was going to major in and he said Culinary. I literally laughed out loud. He had a thing about making smoothies, but before that he had no desire to cook anything. I had taught him to make french toast, but he never made anything else, so I thought he was joking. I feel terribly guilty to this day, because now he calls me and sends me pictures of his food, and he really enjoys cooking, so maybe he could have been a great chef if I had not laughed at him. I think he enjoys what he is doing, but I still feel badly. Maybe cooking can be just a hobby for Sam, or one day he may want to be a chef, it’s nice to have that option and be able to think that you should do what makes you happy.

 

 

Sam and I working on videos together.

 

 

So, as I keep learning more about teaching, I keep changing what it is I may want to do. I dont think it is ever too late to change what you want to do, and to do something you truly enjoy. You only get one chance in this world, so you have to make it count.

More and more RVs come into the resort each day. It is almost “the season” here in Arizona. I have been fortunate to have spent one of the hottest (according to the weatherwoman last night, there have been the most 100+ degree days this summer since they began keeping track!) summers here, and now I am hoping to get the reward of a cooler, allbeit warmer than the Midwest, winter!

I have been busy with making videos for the author, and keeping the Facebook page for the resort up to the minute, attending meetings and doing my schoolwork . I have projects due this week, but I wanted to post a few thoughts I have.

Right now, my life revolves around modern technology. My job here is based on doing social media, editing and uploading videos for websites, and I am taking my Masters degree classes via the internet. When I stop and think about it, it seems mind boggling to me. I am being paid to do a job that didn’t exist 10 years ago, taking classes in a way that could not have occurred 10 years ago.

I was sent a few questions from one of Sam’s classmates. It seems they are doing a project where they interview people and do a real indepth project about the person. Sam told me she’d be sending me some questions, but I was surprised at them. She asked if I could describe Sam in 3 words, which would be next to impossible, but I tried. Then she asked me about my favorite memory. That is another one which I cannot say, yes, THIS is my favorite memory of Sam. There are so many. it made me think back to a lot of great memories when the kids were little. This is always a fun thing to do, since it was the best time in my life. I enjoyed thinking about all of the anecdotes which revolved around Sam, and shared a few with her.

Then came a question which made me think a lot about my life. What can you see Sam doing in 5 years? I am certain I got this right about him, but if someone had told me 5 years ago where I’d be, I would have certainly laughed at them. Even 5 years ago, my position as a social media director, and taking online classes would be a far fetched idea. Even if there was such a thing, it was not something I thought I would be doing.

If you had told me I would be in Arizona, I would have probably debated that and certainly if you had told me there would not be anyone from our family living in Illinois, I would have doubted that as well. Life takes funny turns and the future is not for us to know. Sometimes I think the people like myself, who worry and fret over things are the least productive. The people who roll with the flow seem to be the happiest, and most content. Striving for things and to make everything perfect, just makes yourself crazy. Nothing is ever perfect, and maybe those imperfections are what gives us character?

I got a picture last night on my phone. It was of Sarah, doing her editing. It is always nice to get a picture from any of the kids, which means they are thinking of me, and want to share. This is something I never could have thought would be so much a part of my life. I send pictures to my kids of food I made, the dogs, what I am doing and they send me the same. It is another way technology keeps us connected in five different states. Yes, that’s right, currently we are in Indiana, Iowa, Montana, Missouri and Arizona. I never would have thought that either.

I watched the Presidential debates last night, and I have never enjoyed them more. I usually watched, while doing something else, and this time it was not much different, but I enjoyed this debate far more than any other. I had my twitter account open, and the people I follow are insanely clever. In real time, they commented on the debate, and I laughed out loud as if I was watching a sitcom, without the laughtrack. This is something I had never thought of, five years ago, but I have to say my Twitter people certainly entertained me during an otherwise awful debate.

I sent the answers to the young lady and thought more about what I had written. Who’s to say what Sam will be doing in 5 years, or any of us for that matter. I can’t see the future, and I am glad for that. But I do know that for right now I am glad that we have this marvelous technology which keeps us connected and helps me try to move forward.

Believe it or not, I get questions asked all the time, many of them sent through my website. Most are from women who are going to get an RV and travel themselves, maybe even become a full timer and want to know about my experiences.  A woman the other day just asked me multiple questions about my adventure, mostly about if I think it was worth it, and she asked about my trailer, and mileage. I decided I would post my response today as a post, since it has a lot of information that many others may want to know as well…..

I would not trade this experience for anything. I was in a very bad situation with my job and where I was personally, before I left. I needed something to get me out of that funk, and this trip saved my life. I am a different person than the one who left. Not only am I recovering physically, but also psychologically. I feel about 20 years younger than when I left.

 

I had made an itinerary and planned on spending the money to complete it. I did have one major monetary setback, but I am still in decent shape, so I figure I did OK. I get about 8 mpg of regular gas in my RV. I got 10 before I started hauling the trailer, but I did have my scooter on the back of the RV, and the tilting carrier quit working, and I was frustrated and bought the trailer. It has my scooter, bicycle and lots of extras, some of which were in the RV originally, but since the room is there, why not? If I were alone, no dog, kids to visit etc. I would buy a used Roadtrek, the kind that looks like a van, and get good mileage, and be able to park anywhere to sleep. I love the room in my RV, but even as small as it is, it is not stealth. I do not have too much trouble finding places to park, and I have yet to be asked to leave in the middle of the night.

 

The scooter is the best investment. It was a gift for me, but I would recommend if you do not want to tow a car, you have something to get around in. My last place was the perfect example; I drove my scooter the 5-6 miles into Santa Paula almost daily and it was great. I could get groceries, go workout, go to a movie, or whatever I wanted without moving the RV. I get about 80mpg with the scooter, so it helps my gas money go farther as well. I have about 1300 miles on it, so it has already paid for itself. Not to mention the fun I have had on it! I would recommend one to anybody.

 

I planned on staying in a campground 3-4 nights a week when I planned my trip. Once I discovered how easy it is to urban boondock, I chose to do so, as much as possible. This meant I saved a lot of money there. I stayed in Walmarts, Cabela’s, Camping Worlds, Home Depots, truck stops and casinos, all who encourage overnight parking in their lots. In addition, I stayed in grocery store lots, my gym parking lots, various baseball field lots after the games, and even mini malls where there were no signs saying parking was not allowed. The price of gas went up from what I had planned before I left, so I spent more on gas, but substantially less on overnight parking. I added a solar panel, which saved on the price of gas for the generator. If you are planning to boondock, make sure you have a good size inverter, big enough bettery bank, and a generator and/or solar panel(s). I added a bigger inverter which gives me use of all of my electrical outlets/appliances, a bigger battery bank, and a 125 solar panel. This seems to meet my needs, though I can add another panel at any time, if I need to. I can always use the generator if I need to, but I rarely do now.

 

I joined Passport America and found their $60 fee to be more than worth it. I have stayed at nice RV resorts for $15 per night with full hookups.  I also joined Escapees, but have not used it really, though I hear of the great deals, I have not personally used it. I was traveling a lot the year I had planned, and it was not worth it for me to drive hundreds of miles out of my way for a deal. I preferred to stick to places close to the exits, which ended up being the list I wrote earlier.

 

I have been fortunate to not have had any issues feeling unsafe. Even in parking lots overnight, the biggest inconvenience is the cleaners who come by with loud machines. I learned how to park so it would be to my benefit, with lights and sound, and I tried to get the best spot to suit my needs. This was learned over time. It seems that other RVrs are very friendly and most will help you, so you have allies wherever you see other RVs.

 

I am more than happy to help you any way I can, I can tell you about my personal experiences, but it really does depend on your personal needs. I have a cell phone, 3 computers, 2 TVs, satellite Tv, satellite Radio and wii in my RV…it’s just what I feel at home with. Others have nothing more than a cell phone. I met up with a single lady RVr a month ago who does not have a TV in her brand new travel trailer. I would not be comfortable with that, but she is happy. It’s all so personal.

 

…….That was my response to the woman who may be finding her own journey. I try to help when I can, and I believe that as others have helped me, maybe I can be of help to someone else along the way.  My friend Elizabeth, who I met through my blog, is an older solo Rver who has given me much insight over the past year, and I always look forward to her comments and responses, because we all need someone to look up to and get advice from.  If you have extra, pass it on, if need something, ask for it…it’s that simple.

Los Angeles

Thanksgiving was spent in true tourist fashion; wandering around Hollywood, looking for the famous sign on the side of the mountain, trekking through the streets looking for souvenirs, and playing hide-n-seek with my picks from the famous stars embedded in the sidewalks.

We found the closest angle, after many tries, of the famous Hollywood sign. This was not an easy feat. Then we found a parking place and meandered towards the very busy street, which did not seem affected by the holiday. As we were walking and talking a man approached us, wanting to get our attention by referring to the KU cap and shirt Sam was wearing. No, he did not attend school there, his brother did, and Sam has loved the little Jayhawk ever since. The guy tried engaging us in his conversation, and as I was trying to determine the reason for this, my foot hit a two inch high piece of metal sticking up out of the sidewalk, propelling me to the ground quickly.

Since working out, I have felt more sure on my feet than I have in years. My balance has greatly improved, to the point of being able to hike very uneven terrain successfully, but this fall was too fast for me to stop. However, the silver lining is that the planks I had started doing paid off, because my arms stopped my fall. Had I not been strengthening my arms for a few weeks now, I am sure my face would have been the worst victim of this accident. As it was, my left shoulder was sore for more than a week after the fall.

The piece of metal was a street sign which had been severed, leaving the nub of metal protruding in the middle of the sidewalk with nothing to keep someone like me from tripping over. I would think a workhorse should be put there, because I was fortunate, someone else may get hurt much worse.

We walked to the famous Chinese Theater and walked around searching for handprints from people we may know. The theater has an odd assortment of handprints from people of various backgrounds. We spent some time there, and then noticed the really large assortment of stars on the sidewalks. Not knowing how far they extended, we tried walking through them, but then on the corner of Hollywood and Vine we saw they went in all directions and became a bit overwhelming. After finding the star for Mr. Rogers, I really wanted to see two more stars: Garth and Johnny.

We walked and walked, and browsed the stores and finally Sam looked up their locations on the internet, because we were getting tired! Luckily for us, they were close to one another, and I took some awesome pictures with them both (Sarah took them and has been keeping all her pictures behind lock and key so I cannot share them!) Sam added to my famous icons collections by buying me an Oscar, which is the most appropriate representation of LA.

We returned to the RV to make our fantastic Thanksgiving dinner, complete with homemade apple pie and decorations on the table. We ate too much and had a terrific visit. The only drawback to the day was the lack of communication available due to the campground’s location. We had talked to David and Chuck earlier in the day from downtown Hollywood, but had hoped to talk to Jonathan, instead we settled for texting.

The following day we headed back out to the spa where we enjoyed some relaxation and some fun in the mud bath. I felt very dirty, followed by very clean, and the spa itself was incredible. I spent some time in the sauna and if we did not have to get back for Sam’s flight, I could have spent a lot more time enjoying a place like that.

Sam left later on that day, and as he flew off towards the Midwest, Sarah and I went back to the RV for one last night in the state park right on the beach of LA. The campground seemed like such a good idea when I had booked it, months earlier, but as we lay in bed that night listening to the planes roaring overhead, I was glad we were leaving early in the morning.

We had the TV on, so when the louder than usual sounds started, I was not sure what they were. As I listened harder, I identified the sound as a helicopter. I said this to Sarah, and then it got even louder. It sounded as if the helicopter was landing on our roof. I was starting to get alarmed, when I heard a voice, shouting, obviously on a megaphone from the helicopter.

I got up at this time, about 10:30 it was, to see what was going on. I peered through the front side window, pulling the privacy curtain back to do so. I saw a helicopter hovering about ten spots down from us, with his light on something on the ground. For the next ten minutes, he circled, pointing the light at the same spot on the ground. I watched, thinking the police would come at any time, but I never saw them. Finally, the helicopter light moved, and we saw a guy run toward our RV. He stopped, crouching on the ground behind an RV not too far away. He stayed there, while we saw the helicopter shining its light elsewhere. I became worried he was a convict or something, and would try to get in an RV, like mine!

Soon after that, the helicopter left, and we wondered what had happened, never seeing police come to the area. As we went back to bed, we noted we should check tomorrow to see if we could find out what happened, but we never did. We fell asleep listening to the airplanes continue their assault on the city, or at least our portion of it. The next morning I was never happier to leave a campground.

 

 

 

When I was expecting my oldest son, I was attending College and one of the most popular songs at the time was “Every Day” by James Taylor. Being a “Lite” listener, this was in my wheelhouse, with other favorite elevator singers like Barry Manilow, Neil Diamond and Bette Midler. What I liked about the song was the chorus: Every day it’s getting closer, Going faster than a roller coaster…

This song was on the radio often and I would sing it good and loud as I drove down the road. This was, of course, a reminder that soon I would have the baby which was growing inside me. One day, the time finally came and although it was scary and exciting, it was welcomed after all the waiting.

This is how I feel about my impending departure on this adventure I have been talking about for months now. Every day it gets closer, but it is a bit scary and exciting at the same time. I am down to eleven more work days, and exactly two weeks from today, I will (hopefully) drive out of Chicagoland heading down the unknown road towards adventure and freedom.

This trip has been in my thoughts for years, and an actual plan for months now. I am amazed daily at the number of people who tell me they also would like to see the country, and are envious of my decision. I try to tell people they should not be envious, they should be inspired. The mission is to inspire people to do what they have been talking about doing, and make a plan to see your dream come true. And your plan does not have to be as grand as mine…no, yours could be taking a class you’ve always wanted to take, or volunteering for a cause you believe in. People have things they have always wanted to do, and they think they will find a day or a time when all the stars align and they will be able to accomplish their goal. Life does not seem to work this way.

If every person who wanted to have a baby saved enough money to raise that child through college, including all the costs involved, few people would ever have the baby. Instead, most of us go ahead, knowing it is a lot of responsibility, but trusting we will be able to take care of that baby. Making the time for the things you really want to do is the same way; if you wait until the time is right, you will never get to them.

When I made my itinerary, a friend who had wanted to do a habitat for humanity build saw I would be doing a build in North Carolina and asked if she could join me. I was thrilled, because she decided to make the time and as the Nike ad says “Just Do It”. I give her credit for making the plan and deciding she would not worry about all the excuses she could make, she decided to do what was important to her.

This is the kind of thing I am talking about. I want you to think about what you really want to see, do, experience, while living on this earth. Make a plan, and find a way to make it happen. Life is over in the blink of an eye….”Every Day, It’s a gettin’ closer”- What are you doing to really live today?