Goodbye 2018, Welcome 2019!

Definitely a time when I am looking forward to a new year. I am blessed in many ways but, frankly, 2018 was brutal.

I've juggled the ups and downs of travel agent life by having a steady second gig on the side. It's what made it possible. In this biz, you book a client today, and you get paid when they travel, which might be a year away.

Alas, at this time last year my 7 year second gig vanished. No complaints, it was a great gig while it lasted. But I've had a heck of a time replacing it. And its been burning a hole in my jeans (aka = I'm more than broke!). It's like I've been pedalling backwards.

In November I took the bull by the horns and started looking more seriously for jobs big and small.

Mystery shopping has been interesting, not a lot of pay, but heck, I got reimbursed for a bottle of Grey Goose in an airport duty free shop this month.

And I've been ghostwriting... actually a great fit for me, with instant tangible results: write a book this week, get paid next week. My first one is done, and I'm half-way through my second one. I have missed writing! Just a couple of the oddball things I am incorporating into my income stream.

Now, in my quest to get a steady 1/2 time gig, I've ended up with a 3-month full-time contract. It comes with lots of opportunities for going forward attached. After contract #1 I'll be auxiliary, which will give me an undetermined number of as needed hours, plus the chance to bid for full-time, part-time and contract gigs with the same company. It's a good set up. I'm a bit disappointed that I'll need to do 40 hours/week to start, as it will restrict my travel work initially by only working from home (during wave/peak season!), but in the big scheme of things, it will be fine. But I am going to be one busy girl come mid January. I've got a commute into Victoria coming up, which I hope to do by bus.

It's all good, and I'll be glad to be getting steady (decent) pay. Putting cash in my jeans, vs the lack thereof burning holes in my jeans!

It'll be a fresh start, and will be nice to work on a new project with new people (and great to still have my cruise team; they are gems).

And for a girl who will turn 60 (!?!?!?!?) in less than a month, that's a good thing.

LOOKING FORWARD to 2019!

Reconnecting

I have spent much of the past few days reconnecting with my network. I chose this image for this post because it spoke to me of plugging in, the power of connecting, and all the obvious metaphors. But it also spoke to me a bit of my time abroad, of being away physically, but also of how I have felt dis-connected from my "before" world. I feel a little like have been in a foreign land. I am here, things may seem the same, but I have been down a whole different path in my life that I never expected, and that was just so different, that bringing my focus back to work and business just seems a little off kilter. I have been thinking of different things....

Yet, as I start to connect, things do begin to fall into place rather quickly.

It has been fascinating and inspiring to be learning what various people are now doing with their lives. That's largely due to Linked In... wow, what an amazing tool it has grown into. So much elegant that when I might have been called an early adopter (before hitting pause), and all they said about what it would do to connect people really is coming true. I'm impressed. BTW, this is me on Linked In: ca.linkedin.com/in/robertawestwood/

I have also had people reaching out to me, in my quest for new opportunities. That's rather cool. And the universe is making all sorts of other connections happen. There's a certain energy I feel when things start to align like this. It's a spark. One I like. One I remember. And one that energizes me....

image source: stock.xchange

Library Respite

Tonight is another respite break, and I am at the local library with my sister. She is looking at books, and I am settled into a study nook with my laptop. I originally thought I might work - that's what I did the last time we were here on a similar break - but I feel like I have done enough on that front today, so an opportunity to blog.

After an hour or two, we will go and grab something to eat. This is amusing, as Patti gets a full meal, and I get, well, mush. Might be pasta tonight. One night it was mashed potatoes. Always with some soup. What's a girl to do?

I had dental surgery 8 days ago. I was playing up the 'dental surgery' bit to play a sympathy card, but I really thought it was no big deal. Wrong! I had 2 teeth extracted, and it hurt like hell afterwards. Then, despite being totally "good" (no booze, no red bull, liquids only then soft foods, and all the rinsing stuff...), it got infected. Sigh. So now I have antibiotics on top of the Tylenol 3s. As you might guess, I have been a bit of a zombie, lots of sleep, dozing off at inopportune times, and such. Yesterday I went for the gusto and spent pretty well the entire day sleeping. Made quite a difference. But long from being over the hump.

Interesting, I wrote for a whole 5 or 10 minutes without it being about mom. I'd say that's healthy. So, rather than rock that healthy boat, perhaps I'll not focus there....

I am looking forward to a great respite break later this month when I go to Vancouver and stay at a friend's apartment in the West End while she is away. Heaven.!! I don't care if all I do is sleep.... but I do hope I get out for some nice long walks. Hopefully I can drink by then (!) and can chill and have some good eats. May do nothing, may do something, will make zero plans. This IS my vacation. And boy, do I need it! [A note to my Vancouver friends: I don't expect to use this visit for socializing, so don't be offended.]

So, if I don't talk about mom, and I don't talk about respite, what do I talk about? Aside of dental pain and mushy foods, that is?

Honestly, I can't remember.

Maybe work?

I am doing two things. Can't recall if I have blogged on them before.

One is a short term contract for 4 months. I am a junior member of a 12 person team putting together 70+ elearning modules for a provincial government initiative. Interesting to have a side role, rather than being in the thick of things, but it fits me perfectly at this time. I have committed to the equivalent of 2 days a week as a minimum, and I do more when I can. I can only do this because my sister has come to help with my mom. And I enjoying it more than I thought! I'm am not really a government girl, but with the role I have carved out for myself, its working out fine. And the team is great! Only occasionally get together for face-to-face meetings; we do a daily scrum by phone and Live Meeting and the rest of my work is remote. Although I am not using it directly, I have been exposed to Articulate (I like it), have fallen in love with Dropbox, and am learning the ins and outs of Sharepoint. It's been good for me to dust off some of my skills, and spend time working with current tools. Yada yada yada....

That one is good for my brain, and my pocket book, and making local connections - but I love that it is for a finite period.

My other gig is the one that I am most excited about: since September I have been a travel researcher for IHateTaxis.com. First thing everyone asks is the story of the name, so you can read about it here. I work for the two brothers described in the story. And I LOVE IT! I started out at 10 hours a week, now up to 15 hours a week. And I am loving a steady ongoing gig that I can do anytime of night or day. It fits me like a glove! I also Tweet for them, which I enjoy tremendously. BTW, you can follow us there @ihatetaxis. Lots of cool stuff is in the hopper and it is great to be working on such a small team, as my voice, and my work, makes a difference.

It's funny, it's a way in which I am still traveling, or traveling again, without getting out of my pjs. I have learned so much about so many places by not only updating airport ground transport information, but by researching and writing about layover options. And by tweeting about travel related stuff. I'm a bit of a planespotter, so being hooked into airports is also kind of cool. If I think of places I've "touched" just this week, my 'journeys' have touched on Sicily (Mt. Etna was spewing this week!), Berlin (new airport coming!), Iceland, Dublin.... Other recent places have included Dominican Republic, Rome, Hamburg, Geneva, Hawaii, South Africa, Washington DC, Dallas Fort Worth, Winnipeg (new airport!)... and so much more.

OK, enough for now. bye bye