Happy New Year!
Today I'm counting my many blessings, remembering highlights from 2012, and looking forward to the incredible changes and growth that will unfold in my life and career in the coming year...
"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day."
- Edith Lovejoy Pierce
I'm grateful that I can drink in some of the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets, the fresh sea breeze, sounds of the surf, and the gulls. And I'm grateful that I have a little more time to enjoy these blessings with my dear old Daizy. A year ago we lost our best friend, her son Cozmo. We miss him every day.
This year will be flowing with To-Do Lists, and scratching off dreams-come-true from the Bucket List!
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| The Wold, collage by Daina Scarola. Available HERE |
"Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer."
- Author unknown
Our 5-year plan we began in early 2009 is in its last year. If all goes well, we will be embarking on a year-long work adventure, The Painted Road Project, by the end of this year. As I write this, giddy in my daydreams, I'm also overwhelmed by the great To-Do List ahead of us. Here's a glimpse of it...
January
- begin sorting, purging, and organizing our house. Oh boy!
- revamp online Ocean Art Studio shop on Etsy; open Zazzle shop
- begin small daily paintings for The Painted Road Project art exhibit fundraiser
- search for used Mercedes-Benz Vario van; research importing vehicle from Germany
- begin Spanish lessons
February
- sketch out video story-board for Indiegogo The Painted Road Project fundraising campaign
- search for musician to record music for campaign video
- build and update email contact list for newsletter
- continue daily paintings
- continue sorting, purging, and organizing our house
March
- film promotional video for Indiegogo campaign; edit
- record music for campaign
- create 10 "Perks" for Indegogo campaign
- write and mail out Press Releases for campaign
- launch 40-day Indiegogo campaign. Keep fingers crossed!
- meanwhile, continue daily paintings and purging the house
April
- buy our van, our home for a year; hope for a smooth transaction and importation
- design the layout of our new home
- begin searching for free storage, hopefully someone's empty garage or basement
- begin planning and promoting an in-house gallery exhibit/auction to sell older paintings
- begin planning for a huge spring yard sale
- begin sourcing the equipment we will need for the trip (camera, laptop, solar, storage, etc.)
- continue daily paintings and purging the house
- begin painting commissions rewarding fans who bought "Perks" from Indegogo campaign
May and June
- organize and have Spring Yard Sale
- promote upcoming in-house gallery exhibit/auction
- donate unsold yard sale items to charity
- begin camperizing van; remodelling
- organize and have in-house gallery exhibit/auction to sell older paintings
- post what is left on eBay
- continue daily paintings
July, August, and September
- begin packing the house
- photograph and begin advertising our house to rent fully furnished
- make the most of our last summer in Nova Scotia for a while!
- organize contacts for places to stay along our route from Nova Scotia, across Canada, down the west coast of the USA, Mexico, down to Panama, and along the east coast back home.
- organize, promote, and have art exhibit for The Painted Road Project fundraiser featuring the year's daily small paintings
- post remaining paintings on Etsy
- finish painting all commissions rewarding fans who bought "Perks" from Indegogo campaign
- organize laptop with all Indegogo contacts to reward remaining perks from on the road
October and November
- contact the embassies along our route to inform them of our travel plans
- create letters in Spanish explaining who we are and what we're doing to share at borders
- secure a renter for our house
- hire a property management company to take over rental properties
- finalize camper van remodelling and take for a short test trip before final departure
- order and pack spare parts for van
- make a final list of things to pack for trip
- ...and finally, have a Big Farewell Party to say goodbye to all our friends and family!
Wowsers! Any help, advice, leads for free storage spaces, invitations for places to stay, any help at all would be wonderful.
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| Our home for 3 weeks in July 2011 was fun, but a bit too small... |
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| Our dream home for on the road! A Mercedes-Benz Vario 814D, with solar, awning, roof rack, WC, cruise control, ready for the great adventures ahead... |
“Adventure is a
path. Real adventure – self-determined, self-motivated, often risky – forces
you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not
the way you imagine it. Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear
witness. In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless
kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind – and perhaps realize that you
yourself are capable of both. This will change you. Nothing will ever again be
black-and-white.”
– Mark Jenkins
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