Worries and Frets

Freedom....freedom from debt, freedom from routine, freedom from work?? My emotions have been up and down regarding this journey this week. Paying off that second credit card has really got me enthused about getting (mostly) debt free. I haven't quite gotten to the point where I'm willing to give up that daily latte (I suppose that will have to come eventually). However, I am throwing little dribs and drabs at that final credit card so I can see the balance dwindle. But then, the worries set in. I got a little nursing newspaper in the mail the other day. Usually, this is full of ads for places hiring - sign on bonuses, relocation paid, you name it. This time, there were two. My mind struggles trying to make sense of and predict what will happen in the next few years with the healthcare industry. "Now," I think, "if less people have health insurance because of unemployment, less people will go to the hospital and need nurses - no, wait. People will still get sick, but will go to the ED instead - no, wait. They can't pay so they will only go to the charity hospitals...." I can't figure it out. Maybe Obama will fix everything. One can dream, eh?

Then, I read an article in the Oregonian about people over 45 having a harder time finding jobs now. It says 30 year olds are hiring and they don't want old folks and we better fix our hair. Well, my hair is youthful (green is a youthful color, isn't it?) but I'll be 45 when we leave. Am I crazy to leave a good government job for the great unknown?

Still. I know we'll settle down again someday and I don't want to spend that time thinking about the things I wish I'd done. I truly believe that we must grab our dreams and hold tight and take them for a ride. I'm holding tight to this dream.

Horde of Pelicans

Writers Block!

I had it. Sorry.

The freedom plan is coming along slowly. I paid off another credit card today (YEAH!) and the freedom account is shuffling along. We took a trip in Betty Lou for my birthday to Long Beach Penninsula in Washington and had some firsts. I flew my first kite. Now, this is my kind of hobby. I flew a kite and took a nap at the very same time. I also rode my first moped - I've avoided that sort of thing since seeing someone crash/burn/die on a minibike long ago. Luckily, I did not burn and die (though, there was that little crash...) and Suzy is an experienced motorcycle rider so it was a nonevent for her. One of the highlights of the trip was an afternoon spent at Fort Stevens State Park, near Astoria. We napped, flew the kite, and watched hordes of pelicans most of the day. It was a beautiful spot along the levy where the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean meet.

Each time we take a trip in the van, we hone the process a little more. Then, when you add it all the time Suzy spends in the van while it sits in the driveway, we should have the process perfected long before next October. I've had to add a few more things to the list - paperwork and appointments mostly.

We will take two more short trips this month and my focus will be perfecting the food system. We learned the last trip that finding prepared food we can eat isn't always possible (we follow a low fat, vegan eating plan) and cold food gets tiring after a while. So far, we have a small camp stove and a little toaster oven that we take along but we haven't used either much. I will be experimenting to see what sort of healthy meals are possible using these two implements. I will report on any great food breakthroughs or disasters after the trips.