Sunday, March 24, 2013

Doing What You Love as Work

I've been thinking about the possibility of coming back to Meadows. Chris actually has a good job opportunity lined up. It's not in food and beverage. If I come back there are two jobs I would do - drive or greeter. Neither are in food and bev. It got me to thinking.

I love cooking, but I have had the thought before that I need to take a break. A season off. It will help keep things fresh, help me still to do what I love and love what I do. I know some people never do what they love and I know some people never love what they do. Worse, though, is when someone does what they love and then stop loving what they're doing. My little sister, for instance, works part time as a computer-fixer-person. She's still in high school so part time is all she works and it's totally acceptable. She LOVES fixing computers. She loves working with computers, software and hardware. I'm computer-stupid. I can do a bit more than most people but I can't come close to what she does. She used to help me out and laugh and joke and it was no big deal. Now that it's her job and she deals with SO MANY computer stupid people she has gotten to the point where any computer fixing is a chore. She hasn't admitted to it, but it's not hard to tell. She needs a break. She needs to get out of computer fixing fast or she'll hate working on computers. She did Chris a favor with his computer and instead of joking and laughing and no big thing she was unhappy and treated him like a common stupid person. She would never have done that without being burned out.

So I'm taking heed from my little sister's plight. I think next winter I will not do food and beverage. I think I will take a "break" and work at something else. I joke about staying home a winter and doing the house-stuff while Chris works. We all know that's not going to happen though.

This is one of the things I love about what I do. Seasonal nomads change it up every six months. New work, new places. I firmly believe the reason it's taken me five years to even BEGIN to burn out on food and bev is partly due to the fact that even when I do F&B two seasons in a row everything is new. New kitchen, new menu, new co-workers. Nothing to burn out on. The reason I'm starting to now I firmly believe is because of a string of bad F&B jobs. More to do with the company and less to do with the actual work. But, because I'm a seasonal nomad, it's no problem. This summer I'm committed to a cooking job that I'm SURE I'll love, but the season after that I can take off from food and beverage. Next summer I'm thinking maybe I'll do front-of-house. Get a feel for it. I need/want to know how to do it, and I think it's about time. Then I'll have more flexibility. I've also kind of wanted to try front desk somewhere. I think that could be interesting. As my social skills improve I find I almost enjoy working with customers. Almost. I definitely think it's an avenue worth exploring, especially since once we get our food truck, I'm going to HAVE to work with guests and BETTER be good at it/ok with it.

It's nice - never being so burned out you hate everything. Being able to change it up every six months into a new job and new location. It really makes all the difference in the world. Think about your job, and what you would do if you KNEW it was ONLY SIX MONTHS. What job would you try? Would you try your hand at cooking for a season? Maybe try being front desk where it's constant guests.... Or get your liscence and bar-tend for a season. Or get your CDL and drive employee or tourist buses for a season. The possibilities are near to endless. What would you try - if you knew it was only for six months? Where would you want to go, if you knew it was only for six months?

Kinda fascinating, huh?

Saturday, March 23, 2013

i,Robot

I'm sitting here flipping channels on TV and I notice a movie that I've seen a zillion times that I like. Nothing else on, so here I sit. Watching i,Robot. It brings to mind endless conversations Chris and I have had.

Technology, getting to big. Everything now-a-days is computerized, automatic, and doesn't need you. Now people don't have social skills, don't understand the art of making things by hand - that espresso is better when you have a barista pulling the shot not a machine. Now - not to sound too conspiracy theorist - the government can find anyone anywhere any time. Now we do nothing for ourselves, but have everything done for us. Now our cars can control us, instead of us controlling it.

So we bought an old car. We plan on tricking it out over the years so that we are self-contained and self-sufficient. And not computerized. Our car is a car. "Technology uncomplicated" is how Chris phrases it. Low-tech life. Not no-tech, low-tech.

We do not want to get to the point where our car can decide where we go, that someone could hack our car and keep us trapped. We're going to have computers and phones and so forth. But at the end of the day, we are the ones in control.

I find it interesting that fictional writers and some movie people can see the potential. Writers going "no man, look, this stuff can get outta our hands real quick" (but more eloquently) but the daily Joe who USES all this technology can't see past his belly. And I suppose that's what it is - people even before all this technology didn't use it, could get by without it, and didn't much care for it I would theorize. People now-a-days not only use it but NEED it. Of course he can't see past his belly - he doesn't know how to do otherwise.

 I say a barista pulling a shot is better than a machine doing it, but how long will it be until people no longer know how because they don't need to - machines just always do it. People already have started to loose the ability to cook, to entertain themselves, to communicate. Will we be surprised when we can't even make our own espresso any more?

And truly, it won't be their fault. We can't breed useless people then blame them for being so. Like that line from Ever After (that's right, I like my Cinderella stories). She proclaims that the kingdom basically breeds thieves, then punishes them for something they have no say over. Society is doing that to the next here. Society pushes us to go with this way of life - this technology-driven way. Now how many parents are proclaiming that their children can't do half the stuff they did when they were the childrens' age? Even you 20-40 year old children. I know a lot of people with kids tell me how we young whippersnappers don't know how to do this, or won't do that, or can't do the other anymore.

In twenty years we'll be saying how back in our day we pulled our own espresso shots. Had people who's entire job it was JUST to pull espresso. Now you stick your cup under a machine and speak the words of what you want to it and it spits it out. No skill needed. No effort needed. People anymore don't appreciate espresso. Can't. Don't know what goes into it. Why, back in my day it took SKILL! Not everyone could do it. Some were better than others. But you kids anymore just don't get it.

Yeah, that'll be us. Because of technology. Nope - me, I'm avoiding all that stuff. Have fun with that....

Friday, March 22, 2013

Problems on the Verizon

I switched my cellular service to Verizon in '10 just before heading to Yellowstone for the second time. The previous year in Yellowstone was a bummer in the cell-area due to lack of service provided by T-Mobile.
Verizon was great. I had coverage NO MATTER WHERE I went. I had a cheap plan that was consistent.

Well, I upgraded. I put Chris on my plan and we made it a bit bigger. We added internet and data onto his phone. And this is where it went to Hades in a handbasket. Since we've done this, the bills have been inconsistent, and they've been charging us for one thing then giving us another -then charging us for overages!

So when we hit Chicken, since there'll be no coverage there, we're going to make sure they aren't charging us for a service they're not providing. We'll probably go the entire summer without cells, since apparently Chicken gets absolutely no cell service at all. Internet we will have, however. So don't worry TOO much.

When the summer is over, I think we'll go to one of those oddly unlimited month-to-month without contract phones from Wally World. If anyone has any input as to network range, dependability, etc, it would be greatly appreciated. Obviously we will be researching before we choose our plan and we will do what we can to keep our current phones and phone numbers so that our contacts aren't affected.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Taking This Hippie Show on the Road

Until I started traveling I was under this odd misconception that travelers are hippies. Granted, some are, but many people travel, not just hippies and retired people. There are many lifestyles that just don't agree with being stationary.

Me? Yeah, I'm kind of a hippie. Tattoos that don't seem hippie-ish, piercings, attitude and sarcasm that doesn't fit the typical hippie image... On the other hand.... Health foods, no pills/pharmacy (but yes vitamins), hippie styles, natural stuff - soaps and such. Taking my hippie style on the road will actually be quite easy too. Each area will have it's own kind of hippie stuff, new takes on old ideas and new ideas of their own. New products that rock.
Chris is also a hippie - he just hides it better. Comes off a punk rocker / surfer boy (odd combo, I know) but added to it is the all-natural hippie stuff just like me.  And we want to take our hippie lifestyle to go!

What hippie stuff will Alaska hold? I don't know but I know hippies show up everywhere you DON'T expect them, including your NY high rises I bet.

And with this hippie stuff, we're planning on adding some technology. Solar panels and an interesting water heating system that uses sunshine....Chris is talking about a water-wheel generator. When we get our food trailer we want to convert our van to run off fryer grease. Recycle that stuff! Ultimately, within a matter of years - not decades - the plan is to go off-grid. Not need power, gas, or electric from outside sources.

We will still be purchasing our product for our food trailer, but we want to purchase from local sources. We will still purchase soaps and daily use items, but the "hippie" versions, ya know?

To do that on the road will actually be easier than these fine people that have "brands" to follow I think....

Pet Dreams

One of the things I am very excited about with our new van is the possibilities of getting a pet.
Zoey - "my" cat - lives at home and she really isn't about to move now. A few years old and VERY comfortable in her stationary home, she'd probably flip out if I tried to take her with me.

However, Chris and I are very much pet people and very much dog people. We hold dreams of getting a puppy or maybe two (his/hers scenario) to take on our journeys. We both, like many people, long for the companionship that comes from a four-legged-friend. In our van, taking our "home" with us wherever we go, having a happy, healthy pet is a very do-able dream. There are many mobile people that take their furry families with them.

It would make a few things tricky, but pets make a few things tricky regardless. We could see more difficulty traversing major borders. When we go over-seas (and yes, we will be going over-seas) we will have to take special consideration for them. They will add costs onto our lives. Knowing Chris and myself, our lives will probably wind up revolving mostly around our pet(s)....

Having a puppy/dog/pet even on my travels has been a dream and a want since I first went to Yellowstone. Four legged friends give a different kind of companionship than humans can give. A much different bond. I can see vividly having a pup on a leash and taking a hike, going fishing and letting him run around about the area and splashing in the lake/river....

Also, to put minds to ease, Chris and I are both of the opinion that pets are family. Like children, you don't get one and decide two months later you don't want/can't handle him anymore. Life isn't like that. You get one, you get one FOR LIFE. He/she is in your care for the rest of your/his/her days. You can't handle that? DON'T TAKE ON A PET! Easy. But if you have it in your heart and mind to take on a pet, there are ways. Almost any life-style can support a pet if you're dedicated enough. I believe Chris and I are.

And goodness I found the CUTEST bulldog puppy on craigslist. Chris wont let me right now.... He's probably right.... Sigh.

Off to oogle more pups! :D

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

The Vision

When I say that I plan on living full time with my loving boyfriend out of a 21 foot conversion van at least summers and hopefully winters for the foreseeable future, what do you think?

I have come to realize that the reason people look at me sideways, give me the "it isn't what you think" lecture, so forth.... is because it isn't what anyone thinks.
Everyone, no matter who you are or what you do or how you live, has ideas of this life-style. Maybe you've thought about it as an awesome vacation. Maybe you've thought about it as a terrifying thing your child is opting to do with her life. Maybe you've thought longingly about doing a similar thing for yourself and being free of your current life. Regardless of the why, we all have our own version of how it would play out.

Let me share mine. I envision no golden-brick roads and no easy ride. For most of you that know me, you know I never really have. I envision a work in progress. As I see it, that's all life is. That's all you or I are. That's all our van is. Work in progress.

I want to turn myself into my own boss, owning my own traveling food cart going on adventures. I know this will mean a TON of work and for the first season or two I will probably miss almost ALL adventures just simply trying to get it right. I know I have personality issues I need to get past in order to make this work. I know I have money issues I have to get past to make this work. Finding suppliers in each area will suck. Getting licensed in each area will be a pain. Being the self-motivator and self-starter to such an extreme will be a challenge. I realize this. I also see enjoying my job immensely, sharing my creations and my pride and love with the world one place at a time. I envision seeing sights and meeting people and hearing stories. I don't envision getting rich, only getting by. I envision working hard and potentially never retiring. But I envision being happy and working hard. That's good enough for me.

Our work in progress van has two big issues right now - being water-proof and new brakes. Musts before we launch our first adventure with it. Beyond that, I envision slowly building onto it to make it JUST how we want it over the seasons. I envision doing maintenance and upkeep, that things will break. I envision it guzzling gas no matter what we do. Not always finding places to hook it up. Sleeping in rest stops and showering in truck stops. I envision getting a tent with a bug net and a small BBQ for outdoor stuff. Pulling into a parking lot and not being afraid of taking too long exploring. I envision having to fold out the bed every night.

My life is no more sunshine and roses than yours is. I don't hold illusions of grandeur that would suggest my life is any greater or easier. Just different. And as you deal with the bumps in your road, I know I'll have bumps in mine. I know I will have to deal with them.

So next time you think about your vision of my lifestyle, reconsider. For all those that expect I'm not thinking rationally and realistically, may I suggest that you do the same? As I know it's not all sunshine and roses, I know it's not all hardship and things going wrong. Therefore, I'm excited.

That's my vision - excitement.

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Plans. They change.

Life is, as they say, what happens when you make plans.
Two weeks ago, the plan was to fly up to Anchorage three weeks ahead of time, buy an rv/camper/car something, stay in Anchorage for two weeks, and drive the new car in a week ahead of our start date.
Last Monday, however, we bought a camper. An AWESOME camper that reminds EVERYONE of the old Trans-Van my mother used to use as a daily commuter.
Now our plan is to fix up the few problems with it and drive it up, leaving my great-gas-mileage car with Mom and Dad. We want to turn a 5 day drive into a two week drive, taking our time and exploring Washington and Canada.
I for one am VERY excited. The van is solid with few mechanical issues, although the inside needs some work. We have a half month to work on that, and by the time we leave it'll be perfectly liveable.
The crazy part is that even though it's only 21 foot long and the bed has to be converted to/from a dining room table/chairs or couch each day, we're seriously considering making this our home. Living out of it "permanently." Permanently as in for the summers when it's warm. Probably not for the winters as we're not THAT sure how insulated and warm it will be. It'd be a bit tight but think about it. How much time do you spend in your house anyway? In your bedroom?
Chris and I, when we are at home, spend almost all our time in our little bedroom anyways. We don't need and probably wouldn't use any kind of expansive house.
In the winter I spend more time at home, but in the summer, we're out doing things. Hiking, fishing, gold panning up in AK this summer. We want to bring a couple of fold out chairs and a fold down card table for a 'patio' to spend time out side enjoying the good weather. A big tent or awning. It'll be great. I'm super excited. The point is that we don't NEED that kind of space people usually equate with a living area.
We both came from dorm style housing where you have even less that what we'll be in.
If you had your kitchen, dining room, bathroom, bedroom, and living room all in the same 21 feet what else would you truly need? Sure, some people wouldn't want to convert their bed into their couch each day, but I have BIG plans for that couch.
Think about it for a sec. A lot of you will realize you seem to go EVERYWHERE. A lot of you will realize living how we want to live is no big thing. Chances are some of you already do. You spend time in your bed, on the couch, in the kitchen, and in the bathroom, right? So what big difference is it? That's what I thought.
 Meanwhile! Our van! I'm so excited.