My Salvation!

Prior to a decline in income in 2009, I was fortunate to be able to buy most things I wanted without a second thought: books, movies, music, dinners out, traveling, you get the picture.  Since that decline, I had to make some major adjustments in the way I lived.  It has been a difficult process at times but I am thankful for it in one respect more than any other:  it helped me become a more resourceful person.    

A little over a year ago, I decided to get a library card when I discovered there were more than just books inside.  The only thing that rivals my addiction to nature is my addiction to music.  It’s funny how something that has always been an option can seem like such a revelation when the light bulb first goes on.  “There is a place where you can borrow things that normally cost money, for free?!?  Sign me up!!”

I haven’t had cable in quite some time.  Instead, I paid for Netflix streaming.  It was a lot less expensive and had enough options to keep my mind sufficiently numbed from time to time when I needed it.  This summer had been filled with so much hiking and activities that I hadn’t used it in over a month.  So I figured best to put it on hold, save myself a little money, and stick to broadcast television. 

Since the decision to move to Oregon, everything is about reducing expenses these days so there will be no reactivating of my Netflix account.  With my goal of hiking each state park in Wisconsin almost complete, I began to wonder what free things I could do to keep myself busy in the coming months that will be spent hibernating from the cold.  During my last visit to the library to pick up some items I had put on hold, I decided to look at the DVD section and grab a couple of movies for the weekend.  I spent the entire weekend with my dog, reading books, watching movies and listening to new music.  Although a bit of a change of pace from my formerly jam packed hiking weekends, it was surprisingly enjoyable.

It then occurred to me just how lucky we are to have this resource.  I now have an entirely new appreciation for our public library system since it will be my savior for a long winter ahead that would have otherwise been dull.  I’m now looking forward to spending my nights curled up with a wide range of books, movies and music.  Who would have guessed that entirely new worlds were just waiting to be discovered right down the road at my local library?  To find your nearest library, visit http://www.publiclibraries.com/. 

Nothing that is Worthwhile is Ever Easy

It’s difficult for someone who wants to get out there and live life to sit around day after day alone.  These past couple of weeks I have been finding it difficult to keep saying “no” to invitations to get out and do things.  Bachelorette parties, bridal showers, birthday dinners, live music performances and so forth.  I love these times to get together with good people and simply enjoy each other’s conversations.  But, these things all cost money and I do not have the luxury of spending $5 here, $10 there, $20 over there.  It all adds up.  Being a single person living alone on a nonprofit salary does not afford many luxuries.  It definitely doesn’t allow for things like a savings account or retirement plan.  I live paycheck to paycheck and when emergencies come up, all hell breaks loose.  It usually involves living off ramen and boxed macaroni and cheese for weeks or even months on end until I can bounce back.  I knew when I decided to get serious about moving to Oregon, I would have to save about $6,000 - $7,000 over the course of the next year.  I knew that would be difficult and would mean making sacrifices in order to achieve but now that I’m actually making those changes, I find it a little more difficult than I first imagined. 

This is my last year in Wisconsin which means I naturally want to make the most of the time I have left here with my friends.   These people are more like my family than my family is at times and I know I will miss them tremendously once I’m in Oregon.  It seems a bit unfair, such is life, that amidst the last of my time here I am unable to participate in the activities that my friends and I usually do together.  There will be no going out to dinner or lunch or grabbing a drink and no fun weekend trips away.  This isn’t to say that there aren’t free things to do around town but they all tend to involve driving to get to them which anyone with a gas guzzling vehicle knows, isn’t cheap.  Every little bit adds up and I simply cannot afford any of it if I’m going to save anything for Oregon.  So instead of spending time with my friends, I’ve been reading a lot more, writing more (obviously), working on some photography projects, watching movies and pouring myself more into my work (if that’s even possible).  I do miss talking to my friends though and at times it’s more than I can bear watching everyone live their lives through Facebook pictures and status updates.    

Perhaps this is all part of my journey and exactly how it should be.  I believe beyond reason that there is a life waiting for me in Oregon that will bring a happiness I have never known.  I cannot explain it.  Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach wrote “Those who understand only what can be explained understand very little.” I do not know how much I understand about anything right now but I have faith in Oregon and am willing to follow that feeling where it leads me.    

"When you walk to the edge of all the light you have and take that first step into the darkness of the unknown, you must believe that one of two things will happen:  There will be something solid for you to stand upon, or, you will be taught to fly." - Patrick Overton

 

Craigslist: Friend or Foe?

In my quest to relocate to Oregon I have been searching for ways to earn extra money for moving expenses.  I’ve had a lot of luck using Craigslist in the past to buy and sell household items as well as search for jobs and apartments.  I’ve even used it to search for volunteers and post events for my work. I have been keeping an eye on Craigslist for money making opportunities and so when I came across a post from someone seeking a person with QuickBooks experience to open and sort mail, perform data entry and other miscellaneous tasks for five hours a week, I clicked the reply button and proceeded to email my notice of interest.  Within a couple of days, I had heard back and we set a meeting time and place to discuss the position in further detail. 

On a Saturday morning, I met with the business owner at a local coffee shop here in Madison.  After buying me a coffee, he wanted me to know a few key points right away before we got started. 

RED FLAG #1:  He explained that he lives in a sketchy neighborhood and that this is where his office was.  Second, that he is a diabetic and prone to crankiness when his blood sugar gets low.  Lastly, that is he is bipolar.  He told me that the last person he had helping him quit without notice via email.  My mind began to race with the possibilities of why.

RED FLAG #2:  The job was advertised at $12 per hour.  When asked my salary requirements, I said the $12 per hour he advertised was acceptable.  He then said it was actually $10 to $12 an hour at which point I stated I would expect $12 per hour.  Then he asked if I would accept $9 per hour and with clear hesitation and disapproval in my voice, I said I would have to think about that.  He then began to explain to me that the correct answer to his question is “no” and that my answer made him reconsider if I was qualified to work for him. 

RED FLAG #3:  When I asked if this position would be paid through his payroll or if it would be a contract position, he asked if I had a preference.  When I stated I preferred to be on contact and receive a 1099 at the end of the year he asked if I had workers compensation insurance.  I thought this to be a strange question and when I said no, he said I would have to be on his payroll then since by law, he couldn’t utilize my services if I didn’t have my own workers compensation policy. 

It was fairly obvious from the beginning of this meeting that this opportunity was not meant for me.  I suppose the free coffee and entertainment value of the situation was worth an hour of my time.  I wonder what other strange encounters are around the corner in the land of Craigslist jobs?    

My Oregon Vacation

Recently I embarked on a much overdue vacation to the Oregon coast and what started off as a respite from the rigors of my daily life now doubled as an investigative mission.  Just days before leaving I decided the time had come to make my dream of living in Oregon a reality.  My ambitious agenda of exploring everything coastal from Cannon Beach to Brookings was the perfect opportunity to see firsthand all the communities in which I had to choose from to be my first home.  My vacation was shaping up to be yet another solo journey but luckily a Madison friend was able to join in last minute.   

Ecola State Park, Oregon

We flew separately into Portland on a Thursday evening to meet up with a friend of mine for dinner before heading to the coast the following day.  The five day road trip began at 6 o’clock on Friday morning.  The first stop was at Ecola State Park.  True to all that I had experienced of the coast up until that point, it was cool, breezy, a bit foggy and every bit stunning as I expected.  I had dreamed of this moment of returning to this transformative place every day since I had left it last and was beset with joy at being reunited after two long years away. 

Every instant of the days that followed were nothing short of spectacular despite some comical misfortunes along the way.  Day one on the coast I had my first run-in, literally, with a rock while trying to outrun a wave.  Bleeding and soaked through my shoes, socks and pants with water, I happily snapped photos all the way back to the car.  A local heading through the parking lot to the beach remarked with sly sarcasm at the site of me and my friend tending my wound, “You have to love the beach!”  I answered with sincere exuberance, “I really, really do!” There truly was nowhere else I would rather have been in that moment.   

Cape Kiwanda State Park, Oregon

The following days entailed severe sunburn, failed electronics, unexpected road closures, a moonlight search on a closed beach for misplaced items, bloody nose, spider attack, many wrong turns and a strange episode of swollen feet all on top of recovering from a stomach bug I was blessed to have come down with shortly before departing Wisconsin.  None of these things did anything to tarnish the memory of my time there.  They were all but a speck in the sun of amazing views from cars, trains, hiking trails, suspension bridges, lighthouses and scenic overlooks.  I ate food full of flavor and drank savory cocktails, met up with new and old friends , sat on beaches and listened to the waves crashing upon the shore while the sun set and took as many pictures as my camera would allow. 

The day after marveling at the grandness of the trees in the Redwoods National Forest and the bluest of blue water in Crater Lake, I found myself on a plane headed back to Madison.  During my time in Oregon, I traveled over a thousand miles and just scratched the surface of what this magnificent state has to offer a nature junkie like myself.  Even having experienced it firsthand, sometimes I still cannot believe that such beauty really exists.  I wonder if those who have lived there all of their lives realize how lucky they are?  The next months preparing for my move will be nothing short of difficult. Happily, I know this winter will by my last in Wisconsin and a world of possibility and wonder lie ahead upon my return to Oregon. 

My footprints at Harris Beach State Park, Oregon

 

My Obsession with the Oregon Coast

One cool, rainy and foggy day in October 2011, I found myself on the Oregon coast for the first time.  I walked onto a beach while a mist of sea water pelted my face and clung to my clothes.  Instantly I fell in love with the beauty of this magical place.  The smell of the water, the sound of the wind and birds, the vastness of the ocean, sky and sand all seemed peculiarly familiar to me.  It was like coming home to something I never knew existed yet had been waiting for me all along.  This was the place I was meant to be. The one thing that had been missing my entire life was abruptly found.  The emptiness that had been aching in my soul was suddenly filled.  An elated sense of peace came over me as each wave came crashing to the shore.  I spent just short of one day on the northern Oregon coast and subsequently the next two years cyber-stalking the coast from my home in Madison, Wisconsin. 

Cannon Beach, Oregon

I was determined to keep my connection to this place that took away the vacant and helpless feeling that had always plagued me.  Whenever I wanted, I could check in with one click of my mouse on Northwest Web Cam.   I found an abundant source of Facebook pages about everything Oregon from tourism, hiking, food and art.  I searched out books by Oregon writers to experience yet another level of Oregon. I kept track of homes for sale and apartments for rent through Craigslist.  I digitally collected photos of beaches, rock formations, cliffs and other coastal treasures.  I read anything I could find with “Oregon” in the title.  Never had I obsessed about anything more intensely than or as long as the Oregon coast.  I counted the days until I could return once again and vowed one day to find a way to call this magnificent place home. 

Shortly before departing on a much anticipated one week vacation exploring everything coastal, I decided that I was tired of dreaming of this place and that the time had come to make a real plan to make this place my home.  I work for an amazing organization, Heartland Farm Sanctuary, that helps both people and farm animals and it has been the one main thing that has held me back from pursing a move earlier. My role with this organization is my dream job and I have no desire to ever do any other work so leaving my job is not an option for me.  I work from home and most of what I do is computer based.  I asked for a meeting with my boss to discuss the feasibility of doing my job from Oregon and was pleasantly surprised to find her supportive and agreeable of my desire to move west.   That was it, I was moving to Oregon!

Having just signed another year lease of my apartment in Madison, being without my own vehicle and $0 in my savings account it was clear that I couldn’t just up and go.  So the plan is to stay in Madison until my lease expires in September 2014.  While here, my mission is to save up the money needed for a cross country move, car purchase and first month’s rent on a coastal apartment.  In the meantime, I will be wrapping up things with friends and my quest to hike every state park in Wisconsin.  Let the journey begin!!