Arrived in Colorado

Well l'm here in Gunnison, Colorado.  I flew into Colorado Springs then grabbed a rental car and drove three hours through twisty turnie roads through mountains.  I sure wish it was day light, l think the view would have been spectacular.  I will be taking my camera with me tomorrow to snap some photos.

I think for the first time in my life l actually saw the man in the moon.  I'm not kidding.  The night sky is so dark here that it really looked like a face from all the cartoons l watched as a kid when the moon was a crescent.  I know it's just the shadows from the craters on the moon, but it was the most distinct face that l have seen in the moon. Ever!

 

Urrrggh!

I hate being mislead.  I bought parking on-line for my car while l am in Colorado for 18 days.  I bought it online because it was cheaper then previous parking facilities that l have used in the past and then l get dinged by misleading advertising.  That just perturbs me too no end.  I was quoted a price, bought at that price, then was dinged for a shuttle fee, both ways.  Even though on the website and on the stupid piece of paper that l held it was in nice bold blue print "Free Shuttle Service", with small print, this location charges shuttle $5.00 each way.

Since l paid upfront, with restrictions of when l could cancel and get a refund l was stuck.  I paid the money for the shuttle with the famous words "you will need to dispute it with the company you bought it from".  Urgh!

On a happier note, it's Halloween.  Not too many costumes at the airport, although some ticket agents are dressed up.  At my gate there is an Army guy, a cowgirl, and ....l'm not sure....she's in green so l suppose she could be a leprechaun.

 

Decisions

The time line for me to purchase a van has been accelerated (my car didn't pass the emmissions test).  The question is do l buy an older year with less miles on it, or more recent year with more miles on it?  That's the quandary l am in.  I'm hoping whatever decision l make it  is the right one, but don't we all hope that!

I'm leaning toward the older year with less miles, ultimately it will depend on what l find.  I will have to look while l am away in Colorado, which will bring upon it's own challenges. Thank God for the beast called the Internet.

After the 3 weeks in Colorado, l will be hitting the road  for 2 weeks again (destination unknown at this point).  Which will bring me to the beginning of December, probably not the best time to look for a vehicle.  Maybe someone will need some money for Christmas presents and l will be there waving the cash it in their face.

Packing

I am quite lucky (in my opinion) to have the gift of travel for work.  I know there are people out there that hate the thought of travel for work, but l love it.  It keeps me sane.  I love seeing new sights, meeting new people with their own nuances.  Every town has them.  It's little things that might be hard to see if you just blow through the town.

I'm in each of these towns for two weeks, long enough to learn the towns well (since they are so small), and just long enough to be itching to head out.

Packing for these trips is down to a science.  In the summer l pack all that l need for two weeks in a carry on.  For a girl, that's pretty good.  In the winter l do have to switch to a checked bag, because of the bulk of the sweaters.

I have everything l need for two weeks in a bag.  The only thing l really miss are my two cats, Tommy (12 years) and Charlie (7 years).  So l think living in a van would be easy for me.  And something l am looking forward to.

The last two years l have purged my belongings, from owning a small house with furnishings, to renting a small bedroom from my sister.  I realized it was crazy to need more then a small room.   Most of my clothes l have given to the Sally Ann, sold my furniture, and what l have left, half is still not used, and will be purged when l have time.

Today l am going to be packing for Colorado.  It's easy when you travel so much, you end up emptying your suitcase , doing laundry, then re-packing it with the same stuff.  Only really needing to think about what goes in when the season change.  The in-between seasons are the hardest to pack for, and require more clothes.

I'm looking forward to thie time l can travel with my cats, in a van, with what little l need all there.

Taxes

Today l am spending time and money complying with government regulations. My car has a birthday the same time l do. What that means in Toronto is, l need a new sticker on the car, which is basically a yearly tax on having the privilege of owning and driving a car. It’s not too bad at only $70 a year, if they could do away with the tax that is built into our gas prices, THAT would make me happy!!!!
I guess, when hell freezes over…..the gas tax will disappear. I believe in Ontario it accounts for 53% of the price that we pay at the pump. Right now its $122.9 a liter, which is about a buck more than in the USA and much cheaper than in Europe.
The only kicker to that is Canada does produce enough gas to be self-sufficient. So it doesn't make sense that we pay more than in the USA, when they buy our gas.
The second tax grab on the birthday of my car is every 2 years we have to do a “drive clean test” in Ontario. This is another $35.00. Politicians have started saying that they may do away with it, since they haven’t noticed any difference in air quality in the “Big Smoke” (natives call Toronto that and not because of pollution). We only have a few “smog alert days” a year. Which are a few too many.
I read in an article lately that the good people of Ontario pay about 60% taxes on our income when all is said and done. Between gas tax, property taxes, HST , income taxes, liquor taxes……it’s really never ending. I’m sure if they weren't hidden and had fancy names there would be a revolt. And with good reason in my opinion.

So that 40% that is remaining, you are to pay your mortgage, food, car, entertainment.....etc etc.  Doesn't seem right.

Colorado, here I come!

I received my location for work for the next three weeks.  I'm happy to say, it's Colorado.  I will be spending a week and a half in Gunnison, CO, and then another week and a half in Burlington, CO.  Both are small towns, with under 5000 souls.  Gunnison is up in the mountains, and Burlington is 6 hours away in a flatter area (l think - since l have yet to go).

I am looking forward to boot-in' around and snapping pictures.  I hear some parts have snow already, so coat, hat and mitts will be in order.  And l have to add, that l will be staying in a hotel for the entire time, which l'm okay with.  Living in a RV or a Van would be mighty cold this time of year.

I will be travelling in the United Tin Can, flying from Toronto to Dulles (always boggles my mind to fly in the opposite direction then where l am heading) then Dulles to Colorado Springs.

I'll be sure to drive up to Aspen on my weekend, if only to say that l had been!

Stay tuned for the details.!

It's My Birthday

Well, Happy Birthday to me.  It may have taken a while to finally not give "a rats ass" as to what other people think, but l think l have arrived.  Of course clarity came the day Steve Jobs died and his Commencement Speech at Stanford University made the rounds on Facebook.

His whole speech was insightful and moving.  I particularly liked this quote the best.

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be
trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking.
Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most
important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow
already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary" - Steve Jobs

 

So often we cave to what society expects.  Who's to say that's right?

Community

I would think l was an absolute misfit if it wasn't for the the Internet and the "travelling community".  You know who you are.  Then there are the ones, just like me who scour the Internet looking for people just like them.  The ones filled with wanderlust.

I feel the pull of the road everyday.  It is almost torture not being able to go, not being able to get behind the wheel and just move.  No direction necessary, just momentum.  Forward momentum.  It has such an appeal to me.

And so, l have to thank the ones already out there doing it.  I am living vicariously through you.  So, Thank You.  It really is all that is keeping me sane.  To be able to look at your pictures of your rigs, the places you have seen, the adventures you have had. That's where my escape is right now, in your freedom, your adventures.

I wish l could travel full time, on my own schedule, drinking in life.  I am in limbo right now.  Not such a bad place since l do get to travel for work, the only bad thing is it's for work. I do appreciate the weekends, then l get to explore the places l am.  Sometimes there is nothing to explore in the area l am in, then others it's a gift.

A New Landing Pad

I've moved into the big leagues.  I've jumped in and moved to my own website.  Previously l had a blog on Blogger.  Which was great, don't get me wrong.  The reason l changed is because l wanted to have a website that was all my own without a tag after the blog name.

I am such a newbie at website admin, so without a doubt this will be a learning experience.  I hope it won't be too painful, for you or me.  I chose Hostgator because of the good things l heard about it.  I chose my web name because l will be travelling in Tin Cans.  Not the 'pork and beans' kind, but by planes, with my job, and hopefully sooner rather then later, by van (which isn't yet purchased), it is a solid idea in my mind, l know what l want, and how l want it to look on the inside.  And l certainly know that l want to "get the hell out of Dodge".

I have been fighting the urge to travel serendipitously for a while.  The seed was planted when l was young.  My Mom and Dad after a few wobbly pops would pull out the Atlas open the big white Britannica book (yes folks, l am old enough to have experienced knowledge coming from an encyclopedia printed on paper), and point to where we would travel when they sold everything and bought an RV.  Always they were going to start selling everything in the morning.

Going to bed after that conversation for an eleven year old was like going to bed on Christmas eve.  It would take a long time to fall asleep because of all the visions of travel dancing through my head.

Unfortunately when morning came, it was like the conversation never happened.  I was crushed.  Of course, it happened a couple of times before l realised it was the alcohol talking, and there wasn't going to be any follow through.

This will be a record of my journey.  I hope you enjoy reading it as much as l enjoy living it.