Not every day is a full step forward. The only guarantee is that I cannot take it back and the clock ticks off another day. That's one day closer to my goal, even without any effort on my part.
Nevertheless, I have managed to sneak in a few productive days and taken some steps in the right direction. My savings effort slowed a little when I realized that my landlord hadn't deposited my rent check until two weeks after it was due. Boy, did I think I was saving money! I think I can still save at my desired rate, but I do have to be careful and I do have to watch my accounting more carefully.
I haven't learned any Chinese yet. I haven't lost any weight yet, but at least I have a plan and am consciously working to enact that plan. I DID start sewing again. During Spring Break, I made four sundresses for my girls and a cute top for my exchange student/daughter Effy. I still have about 30 minutes worth of finish work to complete Effy's top, but it's essentially done.
I made a trip to a local sewing shop. This place is so amazing, it should be in a fancy city. It really is a stunningly beautiful shop. Just being in there motivated me to get the creative juices flowing. I am going to try and limit my spending there for now, but once I am back into the productivity lane, then I may allow myself to splurge. I got out of there spending only $3 on two rolls of elastic thread.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
Spring Break
Here it is, Spring Break and I don't have any plans. I seriously do NOT want to waste a whole week to myself when there is so much to be done. I know I need to go visit my parents, so that will take up 3-4 days of it. Still, there is a remainder of 6 or 7 days. Now that's enough time to get down to business.
I think what I would like to do, in order to get my online business revived, is to start sewing again. I don't know if I mentioned it before, but bear with me if I did. My plan for a business is to design and sell patterns for children's clothing.
I designed my first pattern nearly 3 years ago and with very limited exposure, it has managed to sell between 1200 and 1500 copies. I make an average of $6 per copy. It is my expectation, that if I have a minimum of 10 good patterns, I can set up my own website and increase my exposure. I could even mass produce these patterns onto CDs and sell them in brick and mortar stores.
My girls are in need of some new clothes this summer and my oldest doesn't fit in store-bought dresses. I think if I start sewing again and getting back into the swing of things, I can start to feel the ideas flowing again. Then I can get back to the drawing board, where I can design some new patterns of my own.
The other steps to the goals are progressing nicely. I am starting to save money. I am starting to lose weight. Time is passing ever closer to my 20 year service anniversary. Now, it is time to focus on that business.
I so very much hope that there will be progress this week!! Wish me luck.
I think what I would like to do, in order to get my online business revived, is to start sewing again. I don't know if I mentioned it before, but bear with me if I did. My plan for a business is to design and sell patterns for children's clothing.
I designed my first pattern nearly 3 years ago and with very limited exposure, it has managed to sell between 1200 and 1500 copies. I make an average of $6 per copy. It is my expectation, that if I have a minimum of 10 good patterns, I can set up my own website and increase my exposure. I could even mass produce these patterns onto CDs and sell them in brick and mortar stores.
My girls are in need of some new clothes this summer and my oldest doesn't fit in store-bought dresses. I think if I start sewing again and getting back into the swing of things, I can start to feel the ideas flowing again. Then I can get back to the drawing board, where I can design some new patterns of my own.
The other steps to the goals are progressing nicely. I am starting to save money. I am starting to lose weight. Time is passing ever closer to my 20 year service anniversary. Now, it is time to focus on that business.
I so very much hope that there will be progress this week!! Wish me luck.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Things are Going Well
As I begin making plans and TAKING ACTIONS toward this new adventure, I am finally starting to build up a tiny bit of momentum. I think (and hope) that another month from now, I will be on a roll and it won't be so hard to keep the ball going.
If I somehow manage to complete each of my three-year goals, even if I never make it on this great adventure (which I will), I will have a wonderful sense of accomplishment. Just reaching these goals will be reward enough.
I guess it's time to lay out my goals (in order of priority):
1. Save enough money to live on for at least two years (basically 1/3rd of my salary).
2. Lose the excess weight (We are talking over a hundred pounds here) and get in shape for all those hikes.
3. Complete 20 years of service at my current job (March 8, 2014).
4. Expand (it's already started) an online business/revenue stream.
Minor goals:
5. Learn Mandarin Chinese
6. Improve my Spanish
There. It feels good to get it down in writing. In the mean time, there will be lots of other tasks to complete like getting CA birth certificates for the girls, updating our passports, finding homes for our pets, and selling most of our possessions. Last, but not least, we can work on a few possible itineraries as we dream about the possibilities.
Monday, April 11, 2011
The Big Announcement
Here I go again.....starting yet another blog. It's hard for me to imagine since I always dreaded writing in school. It was my least-favorite activity. In true procrastination, I would stay up late into the wee hours of the night working on papers that were due the next morning. My parents didn't seem to mind since I always took a nap after school and my grades were good.
Yet here I am, excited, anxious, and hopeful that our latest plans will become a reality in just three short years. It may seem like a long way off, but we have so much to accomplish in that time, that I think it will keep us all very busy and very focused.
Here's the plan................TRAVEL THE WORLD, LIVE IN DISTANT PLACES AND LEARN.
For how long? I don't yet know. At least two years........but after that I am not sure. Perhaps by the time we get started, we will have a better idea of how we will finish.
Where will we go? I have no idea.......well, I have ideas, but they include more destinations than I could possibly see in 5 years of travel. I am actually hoping we can stay for long durations in some of these places, so we can develop an appreciation of the cultures and lifestyles. So far, at the top of my short list is China, Europe, North America, Central America and South America, Australia, New Zealand, and Africa.
What about the kids? Oh, they can come too! That will be half the fun. I am gearing up for a period of "roadschooling". By the time we leave, our girls should be 10 and 11 years old. They are already great travelers and they are one of the main motivations for our decision to travel the world.
I feel that our small Central Valley community is a bit too isolated from the outside world. Life is all about TV shows, video games, teen idols, texting, shopping and being popular. Maybe that's what life is about in other places too, but I am ready to take my girls to a whole new level of awareness. I want them to be able to feel an appreciation for history, nature, culture, art, and how they all relate to each other. In a traditional school setting, they will read about those things in books. But in a worldwide setting, they will be able to see and touch and experience those things first hand. I think that if they can get a concept of the "big picture", then they can more adequately prioritize all those other activities that make up teen life. I want my daughters to have a unique, exceptional and educational experience that will surpass the local junior high school on just about every level.
For me, the benefits are obvious. Who wouldn't love to travel the world? Oh, I know that most people are happily tied into pursuing the "American Dream". The definition of "home" is a fixed location with a mortgage, two nice cars and good schools for the kids. It's Christmas at Grandma's house, traditions that cannot be missed, and a formula that's worked for generations.
Well, I am willing to mix up the definition of "home". I think it's where my family is and how we grow together. It's not about the property, the house, the cars, the furnishings. It's not us getting together for a couple of hours in the evenings and on weekends to watch TV, finish homework, eat a quick meal, and do chores. I want to actually share the fun time and the learning time with my girls and my husband. I don't want to be tied to old traditions. I want to experience different ones in different cultures. I want to make new friends, develop new talents and expand my horizons.
And in case you were wondering, "no" I didn't just win the lottery. We are not rich and will not be jet-setting from continent to continent staying in posh resorts. In fact, that would pretty much defeat the whole purpose of what I hope to achieve. I have followed the journeys of other families who have undertaken similar adventures and I believe it can be done for less than the cost of living a traditional life here in America. So many of the routine expenses will be gone. I plan to do this all the way, selling the cars and most of our possessions. We already sold our home and it feels so good to not be tied down. But, I'll get more into the planning stages in future posts.
Consider this post "the big announcement".
Yet here I am, excited, anxious, and hopeful that our latest plans will become a reality in just three short years. It may seem like a long way off, but we have so much to accomplish in that time, that I think it will keep us all very busy and very focused.
Here's the plan................TRAVEL THE WORLD, LIVE IN DISTANT PLACES AND LEARN.
For how long? I don't yet know. At least two years........but after that I am not sure. Perhaps by the time we get started, we will have a better idea of how we will finish.
Where will we go? I have no idea.......well, I have ideas, but they include more destinations than I could possibly see in 5 years of travel. I am actually hoping we can stay for long durations in some of these places, so we can develop an appreciation of the cultures and lifestyles. So far, at the top of my short list is China, Europe, North America, Central America and South America, Australia, New Zealand, and Africa.
What about the kids? Oh, they can come too! That will be half the fun. I am gearing up for a period of "roadschooling". By the time we leave, our girls should be 10 and 11 years old. They are already great travelers and they are one of the main motivations for our decision to travel the world.
I feel that our small Central Valley community is a bit too isolated from the outside world. Life is all about TV shows, video games, teen idols, texting, shopping and being popular. Maybe that's what life is about in other places too, but I am ready to take my girls to a whole new level of awareness. I want them to be able to feel an appreciation for history, nature, culture, art, and how they all relate to each other. In a traditional school setting, they will read about those things in books. But in a worldwide setting, they will be able to see and touch and experience those things first hand. I think that if they can get a concept of the "big picture", then they can more adequately prioritize all those other activities that make up teen life. I want my daughters to have a unique, exceptional and educational experience that will surpass the local junior high school on just about every level.
For me, the benefits are obvious. Who wouldn't love to travel the world? Oh, I know that most people are happily tied into pursuing the "American Dream". The definition of "home" is a fixed location with a mortgage, two nice cars and good schools for the kids. It's Christmas at Grandma's house, traditions that cannot be missed, and a formula that's worked for generations.
Well, I am willing to mix up the definition of "home". I think it's where my family is and how we grow together. It's not about the property, the house, the cars, the furnishings. It's not us getting together for a couple of hours in the evenings and on weekends to watch TV, finish homework, eat a quick meal, and do chores. I want to actually share the fun time and the learning time with my girls and my husband. I don't want to be tied to old traditions. I want to experience different ones in different cultures. I want to make new friends, develop new talents and expand my horizons.
And in case you were wondering, "no" I didn't just win the lottery. We are not rich and will not be jet-setting from continent to continent staying in posh resorts. In fact, that would pretty much defeat the whole purpose of what I hope to achieve. I have followed the journeys of other families who have undertaken similar adventures and I believe it can be done for less than the cost of living a traditional life here in America. So many of the routine expenses will be gone. I plan to do this all the way, selling the cars and most of our possessions. We already sold our home and it feels so good to not be tied down. But, I'll get more into the planning stages in future posts.
Consider this post "the big announcement".
What Does ADVENTURE Mean?
Soon our family will be embarking upon a journey on a massive scale. This will be no ordinary vacation. This will be an ADVENTURE.
ADVENTURE stands for:
Accessing
Distant
Venues
Exploring
New
Trails
Undergoing
Remarkable
Experiences
ADVENTURE stands for:
Accessing
Distant
Venues
Exploring
New
Trails
Undergoing
Remarkable
Experiences
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