Cutting Ties

Cutting ties,  cutting the cord, cutting out the bad, cutting the past out, however you slice it (pun intended) , sometimes a new adventure means cutting some things out. The past experiences and adventures helped to make me the person I am today. The next adventure will help create the new me.  That is a good thing.

The email from my satellite television is what prompted this.  Yes, I did really mean to stop your services.  Like I should have my pocket TV hooked to this tether forever.

As a quilter my favorite image of cutting ties is a quilt.

So that reminds me I will have lots of time to quilt while I am between adventures in Alaska. Not sure I want to add a tie quilt to my to do list yet.

Some leaving the past will be bittersweet.  The people I have grown close to will have their own new adventures and activities without me.  Some will stay in touch and some will not, that is the nature of the beast.

Then I found a phrase that suited me.  I truly appreciate the past, but oh how pretty does that future look.

Next stop Alaska.

The Final Push

I will be airborne very soon off to Alaska. No amount of second guessing has prepared me for this.  I gathered a variety of craft projects to keep me from total withdrawal.  I have clothes for 6 months????  No way.

Clothing in space bags so it will fit in my suitcase.  Now that the air is out of all the items they weigh more and certainly don’t want to play nice with getting into the same bag.  What is the worst thing that can happen.  I will be caught wearing the same thing more than once a month, duh. I really did plan for multi layers because I have been told the changes in temperature can happen very quickly and layers are easy to add or subtract.

I have reached the total ” I really don’t give a *#$%.” mindset.  If it doesn’t fit, it will stay here and not join my adventure.  Part of what I am doing is hoping to save some money, to pay for more adventures. If I have to replace a lot of clothing it really defeats my plan.  Time to go back with a more critical eye and take half of everything out of the bag.

On the upside, I have been dealing with a wonderful woman at the apartment building I will be staying in. She even offered to pick me up at the airport.  I was delighted by her offer, but as a semi-seasoned traveler, I declined.

I  remember flying into a city in the past that I would be staying in for a little while and just sitting outside the airport for 45 minutes trying to control the panic I was feeling. I have become much older, a little wiser and not as timid.  It will be fine and I can’t wait to meet in person and buy her a cup of coffee.

Now, back to packing.

 

It’s The Shoes

 

This is logical thinking for all women all over the world, almost.

I had a temporary job, for 6 months,  in Mexico once and took about 8 to 10 pairs of shoes down with me. I purchased a “few” while I was there.  On my last trip back I had to purchase another suitcase for the shoes, and I still left a few pairs there.

I know that this is only a temporary move to Alaska, so I really don’t want to take a ton of shoes along.  I am flying, so I have to be aware of the weight and shoes are heavy. Also, how dramatic will the weather changes be during my time there.  Will I be taking more snow boots or flip flops??

The tough choices, do I take the more worn out shoes and then leave them there in a resale shop?  Do I really need those boots for snow and water? Will I really wear flip flops anywhere but to and from the shower? I am all about saying yes, but I can’t possibly to all these choices.

Final answer…3 pairs of shoes, 2 pairs of sandals, 1 pair of boots.

Time And Lists

 

Time is not on my side.  Each day seems like a million and one things to get done and not enough hours in my day.  Make sure the utilities are stopped, how many seasons are really in an Alaskan summer, should I ship my bicycle, will  my cell phone charge me roaming charges all the time, just how much does an overweight bag cost, can I find my favorite brand of shampoo at a local store?

Just trying to work out answers to some of these questions bouncing inside my head takes a lot of time.  It seems that no matter how many things I crossed off my list yesterday, the list is still just as long.

I do find that making lists really is very helpful, but right now I lose every list I make in the jumble of packing.  I have found a safe place is just tack it to the living room wall.  It’s a good thing I have given up all semblance of being hospitable, cooking and entertaining are now removed from my vocabulary.  My diet now consists of whatever I can find in my freezer.

Each day brings me just a little closer and as I look around I see actual progress in the packing stage.  Yes, some rooms still have questionable item piles,  but there are not nearly as many as there were yesterday. Like the little train…I think I can..no, I know I can.

Change is Scary

I felt the need to find a quote to help me get through the next few days.  So much changing at a pace that seems very quick.  Yes, I signed up for this, but…

One disadvantage to being human is that we second guess ourselves. I have had trips when I was much younger and I said yes, “I’ll go on that trip” and wound up sleeping in the bathtub. I am sure that I don’t  want to do that again.  You become concerned about where are you going to live for this time, and friends say, “Have you found a place to live yet”.  As a semi-responsible adult I feel the pressure to check things out .

There are some drawbacks to this process.  Driving distance is over 4,000 miles and if I were driving it would take me 3+ days to make the trip.  Plus there is a 4 hour time difference.  So calling doesn’t always work.  I can’t drive by and see the places.  I have no clue what the neighborhood is like.  So we are truly taking a blind leap of faith.

In the meantime, I am trying to wrap things up here at home, figure out what clothes to pack, do I have enough crafty, creative projects to work on while I am in Alaska. Of course, they have store to buy supplies, but that defeats my purposes a little bit.

You all have seen  clip art of arrows going every direction, that right now is my brain. I am still very sure this is a good thing to say yes to.

Ergonomics

When the professionals told us years ago that we should only sit at our computer for 15 minutes and then look away for a period of time.  Most of us ignored it, because we had a deadline, a project to finish, a goal.  I hate to say it but they were right.

Now that I am a woman of a certain age who is embarking on a new adventure, I realize I should have been kinder to myself.  This morning I got up all ready to face the world of packing my stuff up and attacked the sewing room.

I realized after an hour and a half that they were not only talking about looking at your computer, they also meant bending over for an extended period of time.  Now you have the problem of trying to stand upright while your knees and ankles do everything  to prevent that from happening.  (Brings to mind the reference “I’ve fallen and…”)

While I was at it I did find those 5 seam rippers that walked away from my sewing table over the past few years.  Oh well, trip to working in Alaska is getting very close and I am still very excited and can’t get over the terror at the same time.  Life as it normally is.

 

Sad Sewing Machine

Sad day for my sewing machine. I sew all the time, to relax , to create beauty, to channel my inner designer, because I love it.

I purchased my favorite sewing machine, a Bernina, about 20ish years ago, and I love it.  Like me it is getting older and does not like to travel as much, so I purchased a newer, smaller, lightweight machine.  That is what I am taking to Alaska, so I can have more room in my luggage for fabric.

Today was the day, I finally had to unplug the big machine and package it safely for  the storage trauma. I cleaned it the other day, gave it a new needle and filled a few bobbins so it will not feel abandoned.

Today I sewed a few bits of my latest project a blue string quilt made from scraps of other projects. Then I carefully stored the project and the machine.  This getting ready to leave is tough on people and machines.

My Alaska History

Just  a little touch of my personal relationship with this state.

My first trip with three co-workers  was in 1985 or 86.  We flew into Fairbanks and arrived about midnight and it was March.  The international ice carving competition had just ended.  We were staying at a B & B and just finding it for these city slickers was an ordeal.

It was one of the best trips I ever took.

I described Alaska to others as one of the most beautiful places I had ever seen, so much so, it hurt my eyes to look at all this beauty.  At that time I said I wanted to move here.  My family was not in favor of this idea.  I only half-heartedly pursued the idea at that time.

I visited several times after that and still felt the same.

A very bad copy of an old picture taken at the ice carving site.  Look at that amazing reflection of the trees in the water.

Getting Ready

Step one, wrap my head around the fact that I said yes to a summer job in Alaska.  Next tell my family and a few friends what I have done.  Start on the research.

This is not the first time I have worked in another city on a temporary basis, so some of this is familiar and some learned at the school of hard knocks. I looked at the maps of the city and where I would be working, started looking for a small apartment in the area, this was just to establish some price points and locations.  More than 6 weeks is way too early for that.

Also started looking at stores that sell supplies for my favorite crafts that I knew I would be working on while in Alaska.  I also started live streaming radio stations from Anchorage to get a feel for the area. Everywhere has sayings that mean something to the locals that others may not understand.  So while doing something around the house, I was listening to Alaskan radio.  (Note to self.  In this environment, many radio stations are canned and it is one person in Ohio talking to a listener in California about a situation in Florida.  Had to find a local station.)

How did I wind up with a summer job in Alaska?

I am not a dewy-eyed young college student.  This is not my ideal job.  This is in a city that I want to know better. Maybe I was just bored with the every day rituals and just wanted a change.

I was looking for something to do that I enjoyed and that would not cost more than I earned.  So, I went to the internet and looked for a tour guide job, did not find anything in an area I could easily and economically live in.  But, I saw a job advertised in Anchorage for the summer.  Submitted my application.  WHAT?  They called and offered me a job and I accepted it.

This, hopefully, will be about the amazing and exciting adventures I am having .