Blog has been relocated!!!

Check out the new location of this blog:

FieldGuideToAwesome.com



See you there!
Tia

About You!

Greetings & Salutations, Treasured Readers!

Perhaps you are asking yourself: "Is she talking to me?"  Yes, I am!

I respect and treasure each and every one of you.  I absolutely love your search for Awesomeness, whether it be to build skills, self development, or learning how others are achieving Awesomeness.

How can you get the most out of this blog?

• Check out the links I share - Do your Homework!
• Respond to my posts, let me know: 
• What worked for you.
• What you do differently
• What you would like to learn more about
• Check out the Contract to be Awesome! (upcomming post - be on the lookout!)
• Comment on that post, committing yourself to search for Awesome! 
• Polls: Make your voice heard by voting in the polls on this blog!

I'm so excited to meet you all!
Tia

New Directions! WoooHOOOO!

So! I've been a bit incommunicado for a while.  Work, and work goals took over my life for March and April, "go-lives" that spanned weeks/ends at a time, and then...my contract ended.  Meanwhile, I've been preparing for the PMP exam.  Studying like a son-of-a-gun, and a bootcamp class are under my belt, and now I am A.L.M.O.S.T ready to take the 4 hour exam - as soon as I get my experience hours (5000+) verified.

What the heck is PMP?  It is an internationally recognized credential indicating that I am an experienced and knowledgeable/skilled Project Manager.    It is super-freakin AWESOME to be able to tack that credential after my name!

Needless to say, my "Weekend Travel" goal is tabled until I get a longer term travel contract.

Will this curtail travel goals? Heck NO!  

Am I worried that I am "between contracts"?  Dbl Heck NO!  I've invested and saved, and should be fine for about a year, with modest living.  I plan on taking this time to explore some interests, and to see how they might evolve. 

I have a commitment to my firm while I'm on the "bench", but if my bench time expires before I get a new contract, I'm planning on doing some extended travel and explore some options in Location Independent work. 

That is the direction this blog will go, as I see it right now. 

I'll be sharing:

• How I am preparing my home - eliminating clutter, and going more "minimalist"- think 80/20
• Location Independent work/income possibilities - including where I found the info - so if you are interested, you can take a look, too.
• Extended travel/living abroad options
• And More!

I'll even include any mistakes I've made, just so you don't have to experience them.  Or if you already have, you can commiserate with me.  LOL

For now I'm going to sign-off, and get back to my "Clutter Clearing Extravaganza!" I'll be adding a post later with pictures, so you can see the complete and utter chaos of the before, and the anticipated serenity of the after images.

January (in review)

Went to Cancun for work.  Love traveling out of the country.  It is a great opportunity to change perspective.  Nothing is exactly as you expect it to be, like it usually is in your own country or community. 

I was traveling this time for "Work".  Oh, how I suffer for my job - LOL.  It was my firm's annual meeting, so there were many LONG meetings, but the intervening times were spent with a cocktail on the beach.  Oh, and apparently January is a rainy month.  Very Rainy.  With sunny patches.  And cocktails. 

 

I was debating on whether or not to include this trip in my challenge for a couple of reasons that don't seem like a big deal now, so in it goes.  Work paid for the airfare, and most of the lodging, and I used points for one night at a nice hotel in Cancun.  I attended meetings, networked with coworkers and muckety mucks. 

 

Most of the time I stayed at the Moon Palace resort - I had fun using my minimal Spanish skills, and loved listening to the ocean.  Warm breezes and the sound of waves crashing on the beach have to be my favorite things about Cancun.  The only thing I really bought was a small woven change purse to hold my pesos.  I'm planning on going back to do some diving eventually. 

AWESOME TRAVEL CHALLENGE!!!

 I have an Awesome travel challenge for myself! 

 

Each month I will go someplace new over a weekend.

"Yawn!" you say? No, no - it really is pretty cool - here's why:

• The destination has to be in a different state then the one I originate from
• I have to go for a purpose other than just going:
• I have to meet and involve other people in a project, or
• Join a group activity, or
• Volunteer
• Travel as light as possible
• Document about the experiences that same weekend

 

I'll be using tools available to all of us:

• Airbnb.com
• Meetup
• Use public transportation (or rent a car if it is cheap)
• And I'll list the others as I discover them.

Getting there

One of the reasons this goal didn't start at the beginning of the year was that I was waiting for notification that my consulting contract was being extended.  So, Yay!  I'm employed for another 6 months.  The reason this is so important is that I fly to my customer site each Sunday, and fly home each Thursday.  As long as the cost is the same, I can fly anywhere else on the weekends.  Yup, I'm pretty lucky. 

Awesome Teaser

You know what is "awesome"? When you have 4 different currencies on your shelf, not counting the USD, and your are trying to find the right one for your next trip, which starts in less than 5 hours.

I should really be in bed, but NO WORRIES! I will post the next installment once I reach my destination tomorrow!

Can you guess where I am going?
(hint: it takes about twelve of their units to make 1 USD)

A little about why I do it...

Recently, a friend, that I really respect as someone who is reaching for her dreams and helping others do the same, said to me: "I don't know how you do it." She was referring to my weekly travel for work.  I value conversations with her.  Even though I do think often about what I do, and why I do it, just knowing who I am talking to makes my reasons sparkle a bit more for me. 

That's a part of why I'm starting this blog.  It is so fresh and new right now.  A few people have come to take a peek at what this Field Guide is about, or have gotten it in a search engine result for something entirely different from what they were intending.  I hope what ever reason brought you here, that you have fun visiting, and perhaps pick up a tidbit of something to spark your thoughts on travel. 

I love to travel, whether it is for work or adventure.  It isn't always fun, rarely glamorous, but it is exciting, & mind expanding.  It is the entire experience of the process of travel I love.  I love the anticipation, sometimes the niggle of anxiety about leaving home, breaking free of my front door, arranging for transportation.  I love the whole process of getting to the destination, getting to know some of the TSA agents, CheckIn & Gate Agents, delays (shhh don't tell the airlines).  I love arriving at my destination, exploring the area if it is someplace new, or settling in if it is a regular work trip.  I love making wherever I am feel like I belong, as if I am becoming part of that place.  I love the return trip, and coming home to touch my stuff, drive my car, hug my loved ones, and sleep in my own fantastic bed.  I don't travel to escape, but to explore and gain a refreshed appreciation for home.

Whew!  Almost got through this post without including the "A" word.  So, here you go:

Travel is Awesome!  Awesome isn't always good, but it is always awe-inspiring.  I learn something about myself each time I travel.  I take myself outside my comfort zones, and that is when I feel like I grow as a person. 

Signing off for now - I have a 6:30 am flight off to work in the morning, and still have to pack.

Happy Trails!
Tia