Especially when 2 lists are for super-active toddlers, when your views on husband's wardrobe for those 3 weeks typically differs from his view, and when there's a wedding to attend in the middle of the trip.
Other no-bullshit skills include buying all the necessary stuff for the trip some time in tiny time slots between work and picking up Chill Sr from Kindergarten and while running other errands on weekend. That includes picking presents for the hosts.
Packing the entire family, with all those 4 sheets of paper put side by side, while kids are running around trying to do their own packing and replace neatly packed clothes and shoes with toys in every suitcase - is a must-learn know how if you ever want to have more than 1 kids and to sacrifice your lifestyle in progress :)
Nevertheless: for all the airfare worth, we now have:
3 full size suitcases, fully packed (20kg +), with vaccum packing bags used for kids warm clothes (jackets, vests and sweaters) wrapped around a large tequila bottle and kids shoes (including rain boots),
1 sports backpack for toys and change of clothes for boys, diapers and wipes + a laptop and ipad;
1 sports backpack for electronics and misc. things for the trip (meds, travel pillows), + professional camera+ laptop+ipad + printouts with itineraries, copies of passports etc.
1 large kids backpack for snacks (gets lighter as we eat :) )
1 toddler mini-backpack for WIPES: heavy duty, kids, facial - wipes.
5 mice by the name of Squirrel were strategically diffused between suitcases and backpacks.
On a side note - the durability of my suitcase is amazing. There're scratches, holes at the bottom, the small "legs" fell off a while ago, however it never felt apart and the zippers still do not jam. Only the names of the places it has been taken to, written inside with nail polish - peel, as does Oscar Wilde's quote in the middle :) It will celebrate its 15 year birthday this summer - never lost, never stolen.
Saturday, May 20, 2017
Monday, May 15, 2017
Some raw thoughts.
Today, in the middle of footing some employee IRA matching and totals, I had a sudden thought. Say, I have quite a few goals for the coming year, and not all of them are one-step, unsophisticated plans that I can accomplish in a day or two.
A few of them do look like they will consume a lot of time and money before something will start to shape up, and the problem is - I can not even be sure of the result as I do not really have anyone in my close circles who has gone through same relevant experience. For example, thinking about 1 year from now - I will have a choice of either having 3rd child, or run Geneva UNICEF 10K of course, or make some advancements or looking for a niche in my career, which will involve more education and training. And all these projects are absolutely mutually exclusive. I can pick 1 thing and work my schedule and my budget around this one thing only. And I'm sure this is just a small sample of the "forks" that I will need to resolve in the coming years.
And so, I felt like a need help on a bigger scale: people willing to help me in one way or another, whether with time or advice, or sharing some knowledge which will spare me from extensive research, or just providing some moral and mental support.
What if I did have a team - virtual mostly - to back me up with all those needs that will come up? What if I start with a social experiment and see if it is possible to organize such a team, and how it will evolve and whether people will voluntarily offer help on a constant basis in return for support, help and advice back when possible (I believe in gratitude , help and mutual support, yep), but also for being a part of larger projects and receiving constant progress updates, pros and cons of untypical life decisions, and as a result - a blueprint for going through same or similar situations should they ever need to?
On the other hand - and it is a significant downside for me - this team building (literally) strategy implies consistency in following specific steps, providing updates, and hell - creating and maintaining a specific public image. Which I would hate to do on a 5 year span.
But it will potentially provide help and support.
But will take away time, privacy and a certain degree of freedom of choice in decision making.
But will allow me to access, borrow and leverage other people's knowledge, time and ideas.
But will put me in position when I will have to give some back. To owe them. And I hate to owe anything for anyone.
A few of them do look like they will consume a lot of time and money before something will start to shape up, and the problem is - I can not even be sure of the result as I do not really have anyone in my close circles who has gone through same relevant experience. For example, thinking about 1 year from now - I will have a choice of either having 3rd child, or run Geneva UNICEF 10K of course, or make some advancements or looking for a niche in my career, which will involve more education and training. And all these projects are absolutely mutually exclusive. I can pick 1 thing and work my schedule and my budget around this one thing only. And I'm sure this is just a small sample of the "forks" that I will need to resolve in the coming years.
And so, I felt like a need help on a bigger scale: people willing to help me in one way or another, whether with time or advice, or sharing some knowledge which will spare me from extensive research, or just providing some moral and mental support.
What if I did have a team - virtual mostly - to back me up with all those needs that will come up? What if I start with a social experiment and see if it is possible to organize such a team, and how it will evolve and whether people will voluntarily offer help on a constant basis in return for support, help and advice back when possible (I believe in gratitude , help and mutual support, yep), but also for being a part of larger projects and receiving constant progress updates, pros and cons of untypical life decisions, and as a result - a blueprint for going through same or similar situations should they ever need to?
On the other hand - and it is a significant downside for me - this team building (literally) strategy implies consistency in following specific steps, providing updates, and hell - creating and maintaining a specific public image. Which I would hate to do on a 5 year span.
But it will potentially provide help and support.
But will take away time, privacy and a certain degree of freedom of choice in decision making.
But will allow me to access, borrow and leverage other people's knowledge, time and ideas.
But will put me in position when I will have to give some back. To owe them. And I hate to owe anything for anyone.
Wednesday, May 10, 2017
Did some preliminary planning for 2018 UNICEF Marathon.
- the ne registration is open now.
Given that the hotel availability might change, that most of the trip search and booking platforms do not show airfare for later than mid-April 2018, that I only counted 2 full days in Geneva (3 nights total, that is), that we might be looking at 2 registration fees if Belkin decides to run - I'm looking at $1,500 for just this item on my bucket list. Pretty realistic and could be worse :)
On a side note - the Universe just bumped my head into the idea of increasing my monthly earning capacity to what I was planning to be my next quarterly earning capacity. Perfect timing as always - just as I start to relax and have doubts about the reason of all the wishes, goals and master life projects I have and why the hell should I .... - here comes a gentle reminder: pull yourself together, do what needs to be done and live the life you want.
Given that the hotel availability might change, that most of the trip search and booking platforms do not show airfare for later than mid-April 2018, that I only counted 2 full days in Geneva (3 nights total, that is), that we might be looking at 2 registration fees if Belkin decides to run - I'm looking at $1,500 for just this item on my bucket list. Pretty realistic and could be worse :)
On a side note - the Universe just bumped my head into the idea of increasing my monthly earning capacity to what I was planning to be my next quarterly earning capacity. Perfect timing as always - just as I start to relax and have doubts about the reason of all the wishes, goals and master life projects I have and why the hell should I .... - here comes a gentle reminder: pull yourself together, do what needs to be done and live the life you want.
Monday, May 8, 2017
Sudden hail in Lakewood.
Looking out of the window - the street is gloomy and dark, the shower of hail pellets size of almond to a small chicken is hitting cars parked outside, trimming the trees , knocking down pine cones and large beautiful pink blossoms off the apple trees.
Beautiful to watch. Especially when you parked in the covered parking lot, still have electricity in your office, and a raspberry-pomegranate cuppa, and a fresh 990 to do.
Beautiful to watch. Especially when you parked in the covered parking lot, still have electricity in your office, and a raspberry-pomegranate cuppa, and a fresh 990 to do.
Monday, May 1, 2017
Sleep and peace of mind, as well as ability to shift my mind to anything other than work
work wonders.
I feel more human again, look much more human, wake up with minimum to none headaches, and cut down crying from twice a day every work day - to once a day a few times a week.
I catch up on the work projects that had been postponed due to tax season, trying to foresee everything that needs to be bough for Slovenia - including gifts, and desperately plan and organize all health and household projects for May and Summer.
Funny - I write down all my thoughts, wishes and ideas to empty out my mind, and get a to-do list 2-3 pages long (and counting); but the flow of thoughts in my head never stops.
As if for each to-do item I write to clear my head of it - 2 more come in, something that I have been putting off till better times for too long, or something that I can only now think of and appreciate.
I'm not even surprised but only giggling at how I will be working it all out - from kids' dental and pediatric appointments this summer- to window replacement, from going through the bureaucratic process of License application to planning out 3 more trips for this year, from Jury Duty and surgery this summer to planning out my next career steps.
And yet, once I write down something I need to do, I can't help thinking about how small and unimportant it is. And as if, with dozens of trivial things to do and make decision about, I am losing time for something important I would rather be working on now...
I feel more human again, look much more human, wake up with minimum to none headaches, and cut down crying from twice a day every work day - to once a day a few times a week.
I catch up on the work projects that had been postponed due to tax season, trying to foresee everything that needs to be bough for Slovenia - including gifts, and desperately plan and organize all health and household projects for May and Summer.
Funny - I write down all my thoughts, wishes and ideas to empty out my mind, and get a to-do list 2-3 pages long (and counting); but the flow of thoughts in my head never stops.
As if for each to-do item I write to clear my head of it - 2 more come in, something that I have been putting off till better times for too long, or something that I can only now think of and appreciate.
I'm not even surprised but only giggling at how I will be working it all out - from kids' dental and pediatric appointments this summer- to window replacement, from going through the bureaucratic process of License application to planning out 3 more trips for this year, from Jury Duty and surgery this summer to planning out my next career steps.
And yet, once I write down something I need to do, I can't help thinking about how small and unimportant it is. And as if, with dozens of trivial things to do and make decision about, I am losing time for something important I would rather be working on now...
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