Are you Living Your Dream Life? Part Two: Caitlin

Who are you and what is your life like now?

Hello Dancing in Barefeet readers! I am Caitlin from Diary of a scatterbrain. Who am I you're wondering? I am a 23 year old recent college graduate trying to find my place and purpose in this crazy world! I consider myself a dreamer, believer, sister, daughter, friend, & designer. So far the ride has been a lot of fun and very unpredictable. I am currently working in an interior design firm, getting ready to move to the beautiful Minneapolis, Minnesota, waiting for my U.S. Marine to come back from our first deployment and just learning how to be a "grown-up" one step at a time ;).

What would you do all day, week or year if you were living your dream life?

Oh goodness - just a great question. If I could live my dream life for one year I would pack up my life in one suitcase and move to Italy for one year. I would live just like Liz from Eat, Pray, Love and eat & drink my way through Italy! I would love to experience Italy, I think it is such a beautiful place and the culture amazes me. I really do hope to do this someday (sooner than later!).

What would your job be?

My job would be a professional wine/food taster! How amazing does that sound?

Why would it make you happy?

Why wouldn't it make me happy is the better question. The idea of traveling somewhere is always an amazing experience, you learn all about yourself while learning about a new area and new culture. I believe stepping out my comfort zone makes me a better, happier, and healthier person. Even if turned out to be a horrible experience, I would learn from it and become a better person because of it. Also, I can't image not being happy spending a year in Italy eating pasta, drinking red wine, and soaking it all in.

So what's stopping you?
 
Money. Plain and simple- I am broke. I am paying student loans back, saving for my apartment,  and I am searching for a new car, All these things are basic needs in my life right now so the idea of running away to Italy (as amazing as it sounds) is not super realistic right now for this time in my life. I wish that I could be one of those people who has NO fear, just packs up and leaves but that just isn't me. Once my life gets more settled and in order, I relaly do hope I can make this dream a reality!

Thanks for reading all about my dream life! :) Stop by my blog and say hi! I would love to hear from you and hear all about your dreams! 

Thanks so much Caitlin for contributing to the Dream Life series! 

If you would like to participate, I'd love to have you on board. Use the Contact Me tab to email me your answers to the Dream Life questions. I'll reply to get your photos and let you know when you will be published. All I ask in return is that you link back to Dancing in Barefeet on the day you appear.

Are you living your Dream Life?

Starting Young

Even at 18 I was ambitious. Having given up a scholarship to do a degree in Interior Design, I was living in Australia with my boyfriend, working casual hours, living with his parents and dreaming of better days. It was at 18 that I wrote this out (maybe after reading this, Courtney will understand why he can't stop me dreaming about what we will do post-Europe before we've even conquered that) -

 

 In 2005, I moved home from Australia, with boy in tow. I lived at home with Mum, broke up with boy, and somewhere towards the end I got back together with boy. I saved bugger all, bought a TV, Home Theatre System and a solid wood TV Cabinet, my first grown up purchases. I did buy a car, one which lasted me a good 5 years. I bought a laptop. I got my P's (Provisional license in Australia - the stage before a Full or Open license) and I got contacts. When I moved home I got a job with a utility company and worked my way up the Call Centre ranks. I met Monty there. I rekindled my friendship with Wozz after a couple of years apart. I visited Melbourne, Australia for the first time. 

Even at the time of writing the list, I knew my income goals, which were in addition to the savings, were ridiculous. I also knew if I didn't push myself I'd stay at Pizza Hut forever. I did OK though, in terms of income for my age.

In 2006, when I was 20, I moved out of home with boy, got two beautiful puppies, and my first Personal Loan. I used the loan to pay for beautiful new furniture (which the puppies promptly destroyed) and pay the excess on an insurance bill for a minor car accident. As well as paying my loan installments, I saved $3,500 towards a house before having to spend it cleaning up boy's messes, after which I broke up with boy for the second and final time. I completed the Polytech course I had hoped to complete in 2005, with an overall mark of A+. Despite having skipped out on the scholarship for Interior Design, I at least now had a (lesser) qualification in the subject. I didn't pay a dime on my student loan above what I had to. I did buy a bedroom suite.

In 2007 I saved nothing towards a house however I did travel through the USA, seeing New York, Philadelphia, DC, Memphis, Nashville, Las Vegas and LA. I saved for much of it and topped up my personal loan for the rest. I applied for several Uni papers extramurally, added them to my student loan and then used my student allowance to become far too hungover to pass my exams (if I turned up at all). I paid the minimum off my student loan through my position at the utility company and somehow avoided being fired for turning up hungover and exhausted for long enough to meet a new boy and get my act together. With my new found mental clarity (not to mention that of my liver) I moved on from said utility company and found myself at new utility company, that which I still work for today. Oh, and I already owned a lounge suite.

In 2008 I had just finished my course to become a Nail Technician. I had come to the conclusion that getting a personal loan probably hadn't been the best idea and that if I wanted to get rid of it I needed More Money. Nails was something I could do from home, that had a decent profit margin and that could set me up for a decent part time income one day when I had kids. I saved nothing towards a house. I saved nothing towards an OE. I gave up paying for Uni papers I never finished. I paid nothing but the minimum off on my student loan, which was disappointingly huge despite the meek returns. I got my first tattoo. Soul Buddy and I got back together after being apart for a couple of years. I got single again. Oh and I already owned a dining suite. 

I started 2009 by changing jobs within the same company, moving into Training where I remain to this day. I saved nothing towards a house. I saved nothing towards an OE (Overseas Experience, for those not familiar with the term). I paid the minimum off my student loan. I cemented some seriously amazing friendships (Lealea and Squish, I'm looking at you). I got more tattoos. I suffered my first non-boy heartbreak when one of my two puppies was hit by a car while we were away for the weekend (she was at home with a pet sitter). I visited Brisbane again for Soundwave 2009 in a trip combined with my first trips to Perth and Sydney in Australia. I met Courtney for the first time. A boy moved in with me.

In 2010 I did not buy a house. I did buy a kitten. I did not travel to London, Spain, France, Greece or Italy, although it's nice to know I'm doing it only one year after I wanted to. I had already been to LA and New York. I went to Soundwave 2010 in Brisbane. I got engaged. Boy paid my student loan off so that we could save for a house. I went to Rarotonga for the first time. I realised boy was not the right one. I got un-engaged. I visited the South Island for the first time. I met Slash. 

I paid back boy for the student loan and got my total debts down to their lowest point since their inception. They had climbed and climbed over the years but now I had no student loan, owed no individuals (ie. Mum or boy) and had zero hire purchases. For the first time in a long time I had all my debt in one place and I kicked it's ass. By the end of 2010 I had paid off $20,000 in 2 years. I moved out of my house - the same one I moved into when I moved out of home 4 years earlier. 

On moving day my flatmate said 'What's going on with you and Court's? You keep looking at each other'. As far as I was concerned, nothing was. 

In 2010 I got my first restraining order, a police-requested one against a different flatmate, who had drunkenly trashed the house we were moving out of the first night we slept away from it. Hopefully it will be my last. I also had my laptop stolen from our housewarming and sold to a gang down south. By process of elimination the culprits (friends of the first flatmate) were determined and then traced, returning the laptop after buying it back off the gang. Who on earth does stuff like this happen to other than me? No one I've met, that's for sure.

In 2010, a month after moving, Courts and I realised what flatmate had seen all along, and the rest is history. 

In 2011 I still don't have a house. I already have a puppy, although he's about to turn 5. I meet my income goal. In 2011 I will visit 11 countries - I've done Soundwave 2011 in Australia and will see Ireland, England, France, Spain, Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Italy and Greece. 

I don't have a student loan but I do have a personal loan. In 2011, I will pay it off, even if the bank doesn't think I can. 

In 2011 I will buy a new car, once which I am proud to drive. Courtney and I will buy a new bike and upgrade his computer. 

In 2011 I will attempt to write a book. 

I will grow my nails business. 

Iwill go to Soundwave 2012. 

I will enquire about getting my Caregiver qualifications so that until I can be a foster parent, I can at least be involved in the organisations that help them. 

I might look after a Guide Dog puppy to give Toby company. I might not. 

I might try and get into a band again. 

I might train to do eyelash extensions as well as nails. 

I will go back to Pilates. Maybe I'll learn to teach it. 

A 9-5 office will not be the thing that sums up my life, unless it has the benefits to quantify it.

In 2012 I will buy a house, which I will sell for profit. In 2012 I will start my degree. Courtney will complete his degree. I will not get a student loan. Courtney and I will go on a cruise. We will decide on our next overseas adventure. 

You can't see the last line of 2011 but it says 'In 2021 I will be 35 and I will be a millionaire'. You can laugh. I didn't think it was going to land in my lap, but even at 18 I knew if I didn't add it to my goals, it wouldn't happen. In 2021 I will be in a stable relationship. I will have worked with charities I care about. I will foster. I will have a child. I will have seen South America, India and Africa. I will own a home and an investment property. I will have my degree. Other than my mortgage I will be debt free. 

In 2021 I will have redetermined these goals a thousand times, but I will have achieved most of them. 

Forget the 'I'd like to's and the 'I wish's... In 2021, what will you have done?

Stress Bunny

Don't you wish you had a PA that could handle all of the stress in your life? The last few days have been a huge test. Nothing spectacularly horrible has happened, but a lot of little things have added up and ended in tears more than once. I think it's a natural part of some sort of life cycle - that every now and then, no matter how big or small, everything will get to be a bit too much.

http://www.wowdewow.co.uk/

First of all, packing is a nightmare. I have a very full house and no room to put the piles of 'Packed', 'To Pack', 'To Sell' and 'To Throw Out'. The piles are well and truly merged and the disaster zone I now live in is well and truly impacting on my nerves. I need to live in an uncluttered environment to be able to think straight and function. I'm not over the top about it - I'll happily accept organised chaos. Days worth of dishes, spilt dinner left by anonymous beings on the stove for me to clean up when I get fed up enough and washing piles everywhere are not organised chaos. The sleeping bags we bought for Europe that won't go back in their damn bags and are unlikely to ever leave the country as a result are not organised chaos. I don't have money for anymore damn sleeping bags.

If I had a spare hour where I didn't have to do the groceries or the dishes or make lunch or do nails, and if that spare hour was prior to 10pm (when I may be awake but I am certainly not functioning) I'd be able to get on top of it so easily. I crave that spare hour. All of you parents, don't you dare say 'Wait until you have children'. I get it.

Next there was the Bike vs. Scooter incident. Like a fight in the playground, workers rallied around us in the lunchroom asking if it was really true and what happened. Letter openers and keys were offered by several staff members but of course not accepted, however tempting. I find it easier to be calm when Courtney isn't, because I know one of us has to be. I do love a challenge, and there's no way I'll succeed at keeping his head straight if I'm fueling the fury. This was a hard one though.

The most stressful part though, was after the Building Manager had emailed all of the businesses in our building and left a note on the scooter to contact him to no avail. We had started parking elsewhere - and so had the scooter. Guilty much? I just wanted to replace the mirrors and move on. My darling Long Haired Boy though had other ideas, hoping that a quiet word with the faceless scooter owner would produce a wad of cash. Outside the heat of the moment he apparently only wanted to use the promise of not-calling-the-police to coerce this payment but I can't help thinking that if they're nuts enough to snap a mirror off for no reason, they won't think twice about revenge if they don't like being confronted. I just want to buy some new mirrors and count our losses.

http://www.wiispace.com/

Besides all this drama, I was still dealing with work. We all know I love my job - generally speaking - but under all of the pressure of packing and bikes, taking a class on half way through their course was a test and a half. Every class has favourite students and challenging students. Every class has a new set of questions and learning styles. I just think the questions were amplified when so many were about things that should have already been covered. By many accounts they had been, but without the luxury of 'remember when I said...' it was harder than normal to answer them. I had to give full explanations instead, because I had no idea if they knew what I was talking about.

I ended up stopping class altogether. The room had been left a mess with chip packets and cups left from the previous week. I couldn't handle the mess at home and work so first things first, we cleaned. We then went through the entire course to date in the fastest way possible and identified knowledge gaps and a few parts that had been left till later but forgotten when the trainer changed. I felt better, we moved on, but it wasn't a highlight of my week.

When I'm in training, I don't really have time for breaks. I don't mind, the days go faster and I eat on the run. On Wednesday though, a break was unavoidable. The 'To Sell' pile at home decreased as a number of auctions closed. I have a notebook dedicated just to trying to keep track of purchases, delivery addresses and received payments in a poor attempt to stop them getting on top of me. On Wednesday a trip to the Post Office couldn't be put off any longer but it meant a super fast walk there to wait in the super long queue and then a super fast walk back to get into training before the trainees. I didn't have time to stop and the second I got back everyone had questions including non-trainees coming to see me all afternoon about another part of my job. Despite the aforementioned lack of children in my life I felt like I had several metaphorical offspring all tugging on my shirt saying 'Mum? Mum? Mum! Mum!'.

(As an aside, a big HELLO! to the man who bought my park bench and said to Courtney's sister 'Are you into blogging as well?'. It's nice to know that putting the web address in my email signature is paying off, thank you for joining us!)

I stay behind and work on the phones until Courtney finishes his shift and that same night I had a trainee sat at the desk next to me doing the same. He was the only one that elected to stay behind so I let him take calls solo and I helped him when I could. His last call turned sour when a customer wouldn't accept that another department was closed for the day and that she wouldn't have the service she wanted until the next day. I offered to take it from him after he made a wholehearted and commendable attempt to handle it himself but it didn't go down well.

http://sunnykobecook.files.wordpress.com/

I didn't handle it the absolute best could have but I certainly didn't do a bad job. I could have been more empathetic but I was tired and the customer was especially keen on venting her frustration. I gave her all the information I could. Had I said it more apologetically she may have been fine but she wouldn't listen. Eventually I told her she was talking to the wrong person and that I couldn't help her. Fullstop. She then proceeded to tell me I should be ashamed of myself, mortified with my 'behaviour', not dare to call myself 'customer service' and that I should get a clue and get a life! That was the last thing she said before hanging up in my ear. I didn't deserve it, I know I didn't deserve it. I am good at my job and good at dealing with angry customers. I just couldn't tell her what she wanted to hear. I'm sorry lady, and I promise I will remember you next time I'm tired and can't be bothered with undeserved empathy.

When I got home, there was a letter from our rental agency. It was a stock standard form letter telling me the grand list of things I need to do when we move if I ever want my bond payment to see the light of day. In theory this is all alright because we have looked after the house and it's in identical condition to when we moved in - actually it's cleaner. See the thing is, the people before us were evicted and the rental agency refused to clean it or pre-inspect it. This was two days before we were moving in and they were saying if we didn't like their rules we didn't have to move in. I didn't have a choice, where were me, my two flatmates and two pets supposed to go? There are pens drawings on the walls at toddler height, stickers on the walls of one bedroom, and a hole in the door of it too. There are stains on the carpet and rubbish in the garage. I just know I'm going to be held responsible and it's only now that I regret not sucking it up and telling them where to stick their shoddy contract.

The list included the stipulation 'Pay all outstanding Water Bills' and what do you know, there in the same delivery was the first water bill I've seen in six months. For $500. Erm, what? Yup, $500. I don't have $500. Where on earth did that water go? I'm going to have to ask everyone to chip in, because their set-rent doesn't cover the water, but holy-ball-of-stress, batman.

As this all went down, Courtney's Man-of-the-House instincts kicked in for the second time in as many days and 'If they don't give us our bond back I'll take them to court!' came bounding out. Fair call, because damned if the damage is our responsibility, but I was not in a mental state capable of dealing with the idea of court. I just wanted the whole thing to Go. Away. There's really nothing I can do other than a good cleaning job and a crossing of fingers.

I figured I'd go to sleep, have a cuddle, and when I woke up in the morning I would be in a better state of mind and ready to take on the world again. I woke up and the sleeping bags of doom were still on the floor, the dishes from last nights dinner were still on the bench and the Trade Me purchases hadn't sorted themselves overnight. The tears flowed. I'm about to make a list. When I sort everything out in my head, I'll be better able to tackle it all.

When was the last time you ended up curled up in a ball of quivering stress? What are your coping mechanisms?

69 Days to go!

69 days to go! In a week it will be 2 months to go, only 8 weeks, and time (hopefully) will start to fly. We are at a point now where it feels like we are so close yet so far. 69 days is still a relatively long time. March has only just ended so June seems to be miles away and yet we move out of our home in just over a month. When I think of that measly 4 or 5 weeks and how much we still have to pack or sell, I start to panic a little bit!

Athlone

Until yesterday we still hadn't finalised where we were going to store the few bits and pieces we are keeping. Since yesterday we now have two options. My mum has just bought a house and furnishing that for rental will mean some of the space in her storage container is freed. If that falls through, the lovely-as-ever Miss Nails has offered us space in her garage. Looking around our house though, it's still a 'real house'. There is a huge collection of currently-on-Trade-Me items covering our dining table, and a few boxes behind it, but generally speaking, very little has changed.

We are following the path or the Euro and Pound with concentrated beady eyes as we wait for it to hit a high. We have watched them over the last few months, recording where they're at every few days so that when they hit good prices we know they're 'good' compared to where they've been. I've never cared in the slightest before whether dollars were up or down or round in circles but I can tell you know that when we first started watching the exchange rates there were some very good prices available. Over the last few months they proceeded to then hit some very bad prices and now they're on their way back.

We have about half of our projected savings sitting waiting patiently to be turned into funny money and as soon as a good price is available we will be loading them all onto a Loaded for Travel card with Kiwibank. It's basically a prepaid credit card that can hold up to 5 different currencies. The benefit here is that we can convert all of our money at the best rate possible and then not have to worry about further transaction fees when we are away. Has anyway used one of these before? I'm curious as to what the catch is.

As you know, most of what needs to be booked in advance, is. There are still a few buses and trains and tours that can't be booked until closer to the time however, and one of those, the bus from Dublin Airport to our first stop in Athlone, just opened up for sale. So a bus isn't very exciting, but there's a reason I've been waiting less-than-patiently for these to come up - the first few tickets that are sold are available for €1 per person, each way. It's a 2 hour, 16 minute journey worth €24. In Kiwi terms, the return trip should have cost us $NZ200 and we got it for $NZ7.63. I call that a success.

The question that I await the answer to is 'How many people will Courtney have murdered by the time we get to Athlone?'. Starting in Christchurch at midnight, we fly to Kuala Lumpur, wait a few hours, fly to London, wait 6 hours, fly to Dublin, wait 2 hours and then bus to Athlone. We arrive at 1.46am on a Sunday morning according to the bus timetable, and after 37 and a half hours in transit, I'm pretty sure he'll be ropeable. Anyone want to take bets on it?

Out with the Old and in with the New

Another Friday, another weekend! And of course, another Europe update.

First things first, I have sold my car! A little earlier than anticipated, but it's gone now so it's too late to change my mind. The bike has had a few issues lately and those issues have been costly, so we really needed a bit of extra income. My car isn't anything flash so I put a sign on it and figured that since I only really use it for groceries once a week and we live in a dead-end street, it would take while to sell.

Not so! Within a couple of days we had two offers, both from people that live on our street. This is where we learn a lesson in how to get what you want - try being a nice person. Simple right? Offer One came from three gentlemen who were poking at the car as it sat outside my house. I was on my way out and only happened to cross paths with them but I let them have a look. I popped the bonnet for them and they promptly started twisting and turning things before letting themselves into the car as I stood talking to Courtney and driving it back and forwards. Not a huge deal, but wouldn't you ask first?

The offered $800 and despite us saying several times, more and more sternly with each breath, that we couldn't go below $900, they ended up walking away saying they would take the car and bring us $800 on Monday. They blatantly ignored us, speaking in their own language to each other, and tried to bully us into the lower price.

Offer Two came the next day from a really lovely family whose own car had just died on them the day before. They were polite, built rapport by joking with us and chatting, asked permission before doing anything to the car, and went out of their way to get the money for us as quickly as possible. Despite telling the first group we wouldn't go below $900, I happily sold it to these people for $850, because they were nice to me. It's not that difficult people!

In the end, I'm very happy. I had budgeted a minimum of $800 from the car to take to Europe, and with precision timing, Natalie's new car is coming home with us from a weekend away in Napier this weekend so we won't be stranded with the groceries!

The other big news is that all the accommodation for Europe is sorted! This is a huge milestone for me as the last few places had proven to be quite the headache to arrange. In the end, everything fell into place. Not all places take bookings in advance, but we have emails from each stating as such, and I will print them out to take along just in case.

I really don't want to plan out every day or anything like that - the element of adventure and exploring is the best bit! But travelling in high-season means many places will book out, so we have tried to book our accommodation in areas central to multiple towns, and for a minimum of a week unless we're en route. Hopefully this means we can still explore and enjoy the attraction of the unplanned unknown, but from the safety and security of a home base.

The only other exciting news I have is that I have upgraded from an old Nokia brick phone that couldn't do anything but call and text to an HTC Desire smartphone. It's like jumping and ending up on the moon, it's so different! Despite our tight budget, we realised that a smartphone would be far handier in Europe than what we had and by selling my old phone, iPod Touch and Navman on Trade Me, it hasn't really cost us anything to upgrade. Not only does the HTC do everything those three things did, but it does more. It's ultimately a much better choice.

For now, we are off to Napier to visit Courtney and Natalie's family. I've only been once before but I loved it! Beautiful weather, open spaces, quiet roads. I came back feeling so relaxed and refreshed. If you ever come to New Zealand, don't go past it. Check out the #blog4NZ posts that have cropped up all over the web this week. Bloggers the world over have written about their experiences with our beautiful country in an effort to mend our reputation after the devastating Christchurch earthquake. I was a little late out of the gate and I feel bad for that, but I can still encourage you all to read up - some of the posts have even inspired me, a born and bred kiwi, to see more of this country I call home. Search Blog4NZ on the web or #blog4nz on Twitter.

How to Travel on a Tight Budget

A quick trip to Australia is within reach for many New Zealander's but can seem daunting when you don't know how much to spend. I've published my break down so that you can see it's not so hard. Skip to the bottom if you're just keen for the tips and tricks!

Melbourne really was a test run for Europe in terms of sticking to a budget. I spent $AUD151.10 over 2 and a bit days. I could have got it down to $128.10 if I hadn't had to spend my last $10 at the airport, had laid off the Wifi (but we were sharing) and skipped the bandanna's I bought at Soundwave.


FYI - $AUD151.10 is equal to $US109.76 and $NZ198.16. I paid $NZ210ish at a Foreign Exchange at the airport - rookie mistake.

So this is what I spent -

Accommodation

• $52 on 2 nights accommodation at King Street Backpackers. Not the cheapest hostel but well located and clean. Showers were hot although they were so high pressure that you couldn't stand directly in front of them. Kitchen was really well equipped.

Transport

• $26 on a return SkyBus ticket between the airport and Southern Cross Station, 5 minutes walk from our hostel.
• $6.80 on a return train ticket to Soundwave

Food

• $10 at Queen Victoria Market on a plum, a nectarine, 1/2 kg grapes, a Ciabatta roll, some ham and a quarter share of a tub of Garlic Gold.
• $12.30 on dinner at Pancake Palace. Mini and I split a 2-for-1 coupon for 2 short stacks, and Squish and I split a plate of wedges.
• $8 at Soundwave. Mini and I split a cup of hot chips and I had a mini-sized chicken burger.
• $8 on a foot-long sub after Soundwave. I ate half and kept half for the plane the next day.
• $10 on a small Eggs Benedict and a huge fruit salad at the airport on the way home. I didn't really need this food but I had to spend the last of my Australian currency.

Other

• $8 on 4 hours of wifi
• $10 on two bandannas at the Soundwave Marketplace

So if we add that all up we have totals of -

Day One - $66.30
Accommodation $26
Transport $13
Food $22.30
Other $5


Day Two - $57.80
Accommodation $26
Transport $6.80
Food $12
Other $13

Day Three - $27
Transport $13
Food $14

On average, I spent $NZ81.38 per full day, slightly over what we have budgeted for Europe. I was well under our $NZ30 per day per person food budget and nowhere near our comparative transport budget (although we'll be paying for petrol not trains). Where I went over was accommodation, because we were in a hostel, whereas Courts and I will be camping most of the time.

I don't feel like I missed out on anything. Squish and crew planned a particular dinner out for the night after I left, as they did with a trip to the aquarium. I had done both activities previously in Melbourne so I didn't mind. Had I wanted to go to the Aquarium, I could have used the $10 I had left as well as the money I spent on bandannas. The only time I couldn't afford to do something we wanted to, was when an exhibition on Disney artistry had a higher admission fee than we thought. I didn't mind missing that though.

I saved money by drinking water instead of alcohol or soft-drinks, which I have been doing anyway in my sugar-free journey, and by asking myself if I really needed the items I instinctively wanted at Queen Victoria Market and Soundwave. The truth is, I don't need cute wall decals, new dresses and new band t-shirts. For some of you, the priority may be different but for me, I have found clearing out my belongings in preparation for Europe to be very therapeutic. I feel more free with less attachments to this one home I have. I felt good about coming home near-empty handed. The hostel saved me money too - you may want a hotel bed, but shared accommodation really doesn't phase me. I'm a low-fuss kinda girl!

So, my tips for cutting costs when you jump the ditch - 

• Lower your accommodation expectations. If you don't want to share a room, a private room in a hostel is still cheaper than a hotel, and often has more accessible tourist-friendly services.
• Find a hostel with free breakfast - even if it is just toast and cereal, fill up for free. 
• Carry a water bottle. Fill it up at your accommodation. Thirst can often be mistaken for hunger. Stay hydrated and you won't feel hungry so quickly, therefore saving money not only on buying drinks but on food too.
• Find a hostel with free Internet access. Our hostel had two computers you could use for free, I only bought wifi for convenience. Even if you aren't connected at the hip to Facebook, use the web to get online-purchase admission discounts, surf coupon websites for places you're going, and check restaurant websites for website-only deals.
• If you do want to drink alcohol, take a bottle with you to BYO restaurants, or use the old one-of-water, one-of-alcohol trick to limit your expenditure while still enjoying yourself.
• Buy fresh and cook for yourself rather than buying everything ready-made.
• Walk! Aussie is mostly flat. It's easy!
• Most people enjoy a good splurge. If you want to go to shop, budget for it. Otherwise, remind yourself you are there to enjoy the location and company - do you really need it?

Melbourne, We Have Arrived!

So many olives!

Although we had to get up at an ungodly hour of the morning to get to Melbourne, the 3 hour, 40 minute flight and 2 hour time difference meant we arrived at a comfortable 8.45am. The others were on a different flight (because we booked at different times and took the best deals available), but conveniently arrived only 10 minutes after I did. After a few hiccups trying to find each other (FYI there are two SkyBus ticket booths at Melbourne Airport!) we took advantage of the $AUD26-return SkyBus airport shuttle and headed into the city. SkyBus is great, it's the second time I've used the service and I highly recommend it - very easy to figure out and great value for money.

HONEY!!

We walked the five minutes from the SkyBus departure point at Spencer St Station to King Street Backpackers and checked in. We (which means Squish) booked us in via http://www.hostelbookers.com/. I've stayed there once before and I'm pretty sure I used the same site, but I've heard a few travellers say they have issues with the bookings getting through to the hostels in one piece, or at all. In our case, they had bookings for five of us, not four - at least it was one too many and not too few!

At the time of check in they were still cleaning our room so we took advantage of their free locker storage and headed on out to explore the city. Our major goal for the day was to conquer the Queen Victoria Markets, and we did so with vigour. I have been to the markets once before, about five years ago, and I had completely forgotten how huge they are! We were blown away by the sheer size and amazing quality, especially of the fresh produce.

My worries of how on earth I was going to stay on my miniscule budget and remain sugar-free were blown out of the water. I ate constantly, munching on fresh plums, nectarines, green beans, strawberries, and grapes. All so full of flavour and high in quality. We sat down for lunch with freshly baked ciabatta, sliced ham from the bone, and our discovery of the day - 'Garlic Gold'. I suppose you would call it a dip, one that we discovered via one of many free samples throughout the day. Made from only garlic, lemon, oil and salt, it has a full yet not overwhelming flavour and the texture of softened butter - and it tastes divine. By the time we left the market - with several purchases in tow from the retail section as well - we were contently overflowing with food and yet each of us had spent around $AUD10.

State Library

From the market, we walked down Swanston Street, the main road through the city, marvelling at the beautiful architecture of buildings like the State Library and Flinders Street Station. Melbourne is so clean and not just because there is little grafitti and even the alleyways are tidy, if not completely rubbish free. The architecture is beautiful, and in itself just looks 'clean'. It feels good to walk through the city, and the walking is very easy.

Once we reached the bottom of Swanston Street we crossed the river to Southgate, where we sat down for the first time in a long time at a bar floating under one of the bridges, in the river. In place of seats were tall crates and each table had freshly picked garden flowers in a jam jar. The service left a lot to be desired but the atmosphere was just what we needed.

Back to the hostel for a nap and some blogging and then we headed out to Brinner - Breakfast for Dinner - at Pancake Parlour. My favourite!


What inspires you about the cities you have visited? How do they compare to your own?

I Wish I Could Hear Crickets From my Desk...

www.agnarchy.com

I work in an office. I sit by the window, a priviledge which took a couple of years to come to fruition, and the natural light is the best thing about my space. Most of my view is roof tops and apartments, but thats ok - I get sunlight. Lunch times spent outside on the grass produce the most fruitful afternoons. Maybe I am solar-powered.

Most of you know by now that when we get back from Europe I am going to most likely have to look for a new job. I guess, as it should, the whole thing has got me thinking. As always, and as frustratingly as always, I have 2 sides to my thinking.

I love my job. Sure I have times when I fall into a rut or when I'm disgruntled by situations at work, but at the end of the day, I have never held a position longer than the one I hold now, and if the decision were based on day to day activities alone, I probably wouldn't look to leave anytime soon. I train people how to do their jobs and how to be better at customer service. With help when I need it from my boss and my team mate, I create documentation, I design lessons and activities and I facilitate training. I see new employees take on challenges and learn and grow. I love helping people be better at what they want to do and achieve awesome things.

As with any job, there are downs just as there are ups. Those that need to, know them. But of course when the downs out weigh the ups from time to time, you gaze out the window and you wonder 'what if'.

mediaenvironment.wordpress.com

After Courts and I went to the Farmers Market the other week,  we had to call into the office to log a request for Courts grandfather. We had spent a good couple of hours with hot morning sun bouncing off our skin, fresh air filling our lungs, tasting beautiful hand crafted treats, smelling fresh produce, and chatting to friendly, easy going and often eccentric market folk about their stalls - more often than not, also their passion.

We walked into the office, and I saw the harsh red and white walls, smelt the stale air conditioning, and felt temperatures that disagreed with the sun streaming into the edges of the large room. I saw staff staring at computers, while outside the sun drenched possibilities were endless. I said to Courts - "I never want to work in an office again". We talked of renovating houses, of selling home produce at market stalls, of working together on something we were passionate about. Our own hours, our own motivation. Fresh air, sunlight, creativity... Bliss.

http://sheenedy.blogspot.com/

On Monday, at 8.30am, we were back in the office. I settled back into my daily routine. I thoroughly enjoyed the work I was doing and I even skipped breaks, preferring to keep working on the projects at hand, more because I was enjoying them than because they had to be done right then and there. Later in the week, I was inspired by talk of positive change by our GM. He told me I wasn't allowed to leave for Europe because I was one of the family, and that I should definitely try and come back after my trip. I said to Courts - "This is why I'm still here. We're changing the way things are done, not only within the company, but the industry. We make mistakes, and we bounce back higher than anyone else. I want to be part of that".

And here we are, at a cross roads. If I set up a small market stall, and I do nails, and I blog, and I go to the beach when I want, there will be no ladder to climb, no promotion to aim for, certainly no payrises. Will I be able to pay off my personal loan? Travel the world? Buy a house?

If I get back into an office, I can do all of those things. But will I be making the most of this one life I get? Will I be as happy as I possibly could be?

Is there a balance?

When You Realise How Great Your Friends REALLY Are

Happy Friday! Another week down, another week closer to Europe! 105 sleeps to go, and Friday means it's time to update you on our plans. If you're not interested in house-sitting, ferries, poor customer service or cougars, feel free to skip this post, I won't mind!

First things first, our animals now have loving homes to (temporarily) go to while we are away, hence the title of this blog. The wonders of Facebook. Oh how I love and loathe thee all at the same time. We had quite a few people say that if their circumstances were right at the time, they could help. Thank you, to each and everyone of you, for reassuring me that I had options, if I didn't find anything more suitable. Although it was a great relief to know we had people willing to help, the greatest relief came in a resolution.

Our dear Movie Night hosts, Monty and NurseB, have offered to take Toby in, while Izzy (the cat) will head to Soul Buddy's house for awhile. In a perfect world I wouldn't want them separated, but I think they will be OK. Monty and NurseB already have a dog, and he is only just getting used to their cats (blended family bliss!) so it's not really a great idea to throw Izzy in the mix. Toby has been around Monty since he was a pup so there is a lot of trust there, and having another dog to distract him won't hurt either. It also works really well because Monty and NurseB are off on Safari for the month before we leave, so we are going to house sit for them. The fact that we will be with Toby in his new house for the first month he is there is awesome, we can help him transition so it isn't so hard on him. The whole thing couldn't have worked out better, and we are eternally grateful to our friends for helping us out.

Meanwhile, Izzy is going to stay with his Aunty SB. SB has three cats of her own so while it will become a bit of a full house, at least he will get a lot of attention! My only worry is that SB and her husband are off to England for 2 weeks at the same time that we leave (we're all off adventuring this year! Even Squish and her Lobster are off to the US of A) and Izzy wont understand all the changes. He's going to head to her place when we move to Monty's so he has a month to get settled before they go away so I am sure it will all be OK. Either way, I couldn't ask for a more trustworthy and loving person to look after him when I cant.

OK, so with that out of the way - the fun stuff! We're really just trying to focus on getting accommodation sorted at the moment, so we've recently booked Paris, Athens, and Avallon, a stop between Nice and Cherbourg which has replaced Clermont-Ferrand on our itinerary. It's really close to an awesome experimental building site that we plan on visiting - a castle is being built, using only medieval resources. No cranes or jackhammers, just chisels and pulleys.

We've also booked our ferries between Poole, England and Cherbourg, France, and our ferries between Athens and the island of Santorini in Greece. Even though it is still months away, its really exciting to see the pieces come together. This is actually going to happen! After 10 years of dreaming and googling and dreaming and brochures and dreaming and ideas, I'm actually going to make it happen. It still doesn't seem real.

Silly things are exciting. I had a few dollars left over last pay day so I bought fresh stocks of hair ties, clips, toothpaste, soap, 2-in-1 shampoo and even Marmite and stowed it all away in our rapidly filling Things-for-Europe drawer (we're on our second one, luckily they're small bedside table drawers or I don't think we would get it all on the plane!). I told you I'm super organised! I just like doing these things because each one takes me a step closer to being there.

Our only disappointment has been the International Youth Travel Card. The IYTC is a card that costs $25 and acts as proof of age (you have to be under 26 to get one). It then qualifies you for discounts all over the world. The STA website has a database of all the places you can get the discount, and although there were very few that appeared useful to us, it showed we could get a discount off our Disneyland tickets that would be almost equal to the cost of the card. We reasoned that this essentially made the card free, and so if we did find a place to use it, it was a bonus.

Only thing was, the database was wrong and we couldn't use the card for the Disneyland discount. It only applied to Student cards, which wasn't noted, and the database was so out of date the ticket prices weren't even correct. After an argument with a very rude travel agent over her demands that I email the complaint and that there was no-one I could talk to (I wanted it reversed before the charge came off my credit card so didn't want to leave it up to email), she passed the phone to the very person I'd been told to email. The lovely Rhiannon realised that the website wasn't clear, and arranged a refund for us. While I wasn't too happy with STA originally, they can thank Rhiannon for taking ownership and proving that their Customer Service isn't all bad.

Lastly, I am very excited for tomorrow night. Its the 40th birthday dinner of my Mum's best friend Blondie and not only do we get to celebrate with her but we get to do it at Mexican Cafe, my favourite restaurant on earth. Happy Birthday other-Mum, thanks so much for welcoming my sister and I into your life as family members before you barely knew us. Thanks for putting up with us, loving us unconditionally, and for being my Mum's Soul Buddy. You make us all very happy and I am proud to call you my other-Mum. And to point you out to everyone I know and tell them your real age after they comment on how hot you are. No more dirty thirties! Love you xx

Finding the Time to be Happy

When I started this blog I had decided to take my happiness into my own hands and run with it, in the form of the Bliss List. For those who haven't been reading from the start, the Bliss List started as the 'Interests' list on my Bebo (yeah... Bebo...) and evolved as it followed me to MySpace and then Facebook and then here. Every time I come across it, it makes me think 'This is how I want to remember my life, and this is how I want others to think of me'.

Toby at his happiest!

The only problem with the Bliss List is that I don't have time to do all of the things that sum up my ideal 'me', between working and working and cleaning and watching TV. So I decided I was going to do one a thing a day from the Bliss List. I managed it for a few days and then once every few days after that, but I fell straight back into The Rut. I suppose, now I think about it, its a lot like dieting or being sugar-free - it takes a few tries to get it right.

I am a person that thrives on challenges, and so I suppose the best way to kick start this experiment of Bliss is with one. I have 50 things on my Bliss List, and so I have written one on each of the next 50 days of my appointment diary, and I'm going to keep you all updated with how well I can stick to it, which ones live up to my expectations and which I actually didn't enjoy anymore. Hopefully I can inspire you, and I will most definitely welcome ideas and suggestions on how I can make the time or fulfill my list!

Those who know me personally will already be laughing at the fact I essentially scheduled in happiness, because I am an organisation fiend. Without doing it though, I get caught up in things I should be doing, and it's apparent I need a little reminder to do something for myself each day. I have already started making room for Bliss.

Courts and I had a chat the other day about the whole thing and I realised that although I claim to not watch much TV, I actually do. It's not because I sit down and channel surf, which in my head is what 'watching TV' seems to be. It's because we have MySky and can record anything that looks interesting - so I do. Once its recorded I feel like I have to watch it because it's there - so I do. I've now deleted all of my recordings except American Idol (because we all watch it together). I've even deleted Shortland Street. Love it or hate it, this was a big deal for me! So now I will watch TV if I sit down and find something I want to watch but I won't watch it because I have to.

I also realised I spend a lot of time doing very little on my computer. Swapping between Hotmail and Facebook and news sites and gossip sites and the blog and achieving very little. Why am I not picking up the book that's been on my bedside table, unopened, for 4 months now? Why am I not running (OK, walking quickly) through the park with my dog Toby, enjoying the dopey look on his face and the way his tongue falls out one side of his mouth when he's so happy that he forgets to hold it in? In 109 sleeps I will be without him for almost 4 months, I have to make the most of him. And why aren't I lying around watching movies and talking with Courts instead of staring at screens, metres apart?

I don't have an answer really. I forget, and that's the honest truth. It doesn't cross my mind to do these things and then in hindsight I wish I had. Enough excuses, now I will do all of these things and more.

I started Friday, when me and Courts went with Squish and her boyfriend to the Chinese Lantern Festival in Albert Park, Auckland. We braved massive crowds to eat Sri Lankan Appam with spicy chicken filling, and we braved them again to each have half a rock melon with the seeds scooped out and a small scoop of vanilla ice cream in the centre (this was the first sugar I had since my 100ml ice cream at Movies in Moonlight so I let it slide - no more treats until I've gone another week 'clean'). The lanterns were awesome, the food was delicious, the company was second to none, but the crowds definitely put me off. The food stalls were separate from the lanterns, down either side of a closed off street, and it took us an hour to walk a few hundred metres. We weren't the only ones to comment that it was like a mosh pit! But that is 'Festivals' crossed off the list.

Something Courts and I decided to try when we talked about making the most of our time together was a Saturday morning breakfast date every week, spending real time together and starting the weekend relaxed and happy. So Saturday Morning we made our way to the Farmers Market at Britomart. Neither of us had been before and we loved it. Free samples at most of the stalls, amazing fresh produce and baked goods. Courts had a coffee and I had a fresh orange, carrot, lemon and ginger juice that was made in front of me. We then each had a Ciabatta filled with roast ham, bacon, egg, cheese, lettuce and tomato, with the veges coming from other stalls in the market place. The Ciabattas were amazing as was the jar of Rewarewa Honey I treated myself to, unprocessed and fresh from the hive. It's too good to waste on toast, I have to admit to dipping in a spoon.

So far, so bliss! I'll let you know how the rest of the week goes.

I Have Tickets to DISNEYLAND!

The childhood dream to end all childhood dreams, we have tickets to Disneyland! Disneyland Paris that is. When I travelled through the states a few years ago I had big plans of going to Disneyland in LA but LA was my last stop and not only was I running out of cash but I had some money stolen from my Hostel in Vegas as well. In the end I couldn't afford to go so I made it a priority to book tickets in advance this time. No excuses!

Is it just me or should Disney characters have American accents? Imagining Snow White saying Bonjour doesn't quite work for me. Never mind, bring it on!

We have also booked in to a few more campgrounds. Our first stop in Spain is San Sebastian, where we will be staying at Camping Igueldo. San Sebastian is an hour or so away from Pamplona, which is the town that the Running of the Bulls is held in. We were planning on staying closer to Pamplona for the festival, and then heading across country to Javea, a beach town between Valencia and Alicante. As much as I would love to see those places, I also wanted to simplify the trip and limit the number of stops we had, so instead we are staying in San Sebastian for a whole week. San Sebastian is not only close to Pamplona but it has beaches, mountains and city all in one and looks amazing.

We also have accommodation in Bordeaux at Le Village du Lac and in Athens at Kokkino Limanaki. We're not even half way in terms of getting all of our accommodation sorted, but more and more is getting ticked off, it's very exciting.

Its important that we book everything we need to as far in advance as possible, to get the best deals we can. But spending all our money as it comes in, does make me nervous. It means our petrol, food and spending money will be reliant on savings and on selling our car and bike and on our holiday payouts. None of those things are guaranteed, so we are going to have to work hard to make sure they come through.

Also, my dog Toby and my cat Izzy, who I am going to miss more than words can even explain, were going to be staying with my older sister while we were away, and if that fell through, Courtney's sister was going to stay with them in our house (which we wouldn't keep otherwise). Both of those options fell through this week, with my sisters partner getting transferred to Queenstown for work, and Courtney's sister deciding to move home and save while we're away. I'm sure we have other options but for the moment I'm a little stressed. If by 'a little' you mean 'out of my mind'.

I'm really happy for the decisions our sisters have made so now I need to focus on both the exciting parts of planning our trip, and a solution for my fur-children. Giving them to new owners is not an option, and I wouldn't have planned the trip if I thought that would happen. We will find an alternative, even if I need a loan to pay for them to stay at Pets in the City, because those animals mean more to me than anything.

Disneyland, focus on Disneyland.

The Pieces Fall Into Place...

1st of Feb. You know what that means? ONE MONTH SUGAR FREE!

Since New Years, this is the sugar I have eaten -

• 1 Welshcake cookie
• 2 Hersheys Kisses
• 4 Ferrero Rocher
• 1/2 a Creme Brulee

...and low and behold I'm having a need-sugar day today! My first in about a week though, I've just realised. I managed to stay away even from milk or any of my normal substitutes until 1.30pm and now I'm drinking half-half hot water and hot milk, because the vending machine was whispering sweet nothings in my ear and it was either milk or chocolate!

In the last month, I have had headaches, digestion issues, light headedness and mood swings. It has been nowhere near as bad as last time I gave up sugar, when I also had split lips, split skin on my fingers, major break outs and full body aches, not to mention 3 periods in 6 weeks. To balance that though, once the worst passed, I have slept better, been more positive, more patient and more motivated. I feel generally lighter and healthier, and much happier.

As promised last night, I attempted a new recipe but alas it did NOT work out. Yoghurt is not a good sugar substitute FYI! Gluggy muffins - still edible but not shareable. That's my measurement of success - would I be happy sharing these with my friends? This time, a definite no! Hahaha oh well, next time!

Tonight I have a couple of nail appointments to do, so not much time for Bliss... I'm going to try and spend half an hour reading though because that is something I love and can do easily. In the meantime, I scanned in our current itinerary for Europe! Everything in pen is definite and everything in pencil is still changeable. The numbers at the bottom of each square represent riding hours, the toll charge for that day, kilometres to cover, and petrol cost for the day (petrol is above km) - all the estimated information is from ViaMichelin, a ridiculously awesome tool for planning travel all over the world.

I think you need to click on the picture below to see it full size and readable - please excuse spelling mistakes (I have no idea why I wrote the Whitesnake concert in as 'whitesnack' but I only noticed it post scan!)

Finding Motivation

Just a quick one today because I've spent all day working on putting all of our research on the site for you. I have managed to publish the first of three directory pages, listing all of the accomodation we will be booking. As we travel, I will do my best to keep up to date with reviewing each of the places as well.

Soon to come will be a directory of all the places we have an interest in visiting, and a directory of all of the transport options we will use. Hopefully this becomes a usable resource for future travellers so please refer your friends to my page if you know it might be useful!

An update on the Bliss List challenge... I'm still doing my best, but time is of course a hindrance. Last night we went to a BBQ with Courtney's Stepmum's family. I hadn't met them before and it was really lovely to be made to feel as welcome as I was. Just goes to show it doesn't have to be close family and friends for it to be a great time when people are open and welcoming.

Today I have literally done nothing. It is a public holiday in Auckland and it was lunch time before I knew it and started working on these pages. I'm stoked that I've finally posted one of the three pages I've been intending on since I started posting, but I wish I had forced myself to take the dog to the park or to bake something or to put music on for an hour or so. At 8pm I feel sluggish and lazy, maybe I will find a recipe to keep me occupied until Courts gets home just after 10pm.

Hopefully your weekend was awesome! I'm finding it so hard to get motivated to leave the house at the moment, the weather has been up and down and I've been distracted by 'things to do'. When I do leave the house I feel so much better, I just need to get better at actually doing it!

How do you motivate yourself to change your priorities?