Spending the day with Jackie and Pam

Jackie and I started the day with a massage at Kristine's, me with a one-hour, deep-tissue massage, and Jackie with a 1/2 hour upper-body massage, plus a facial. Pam read a book in a cafe across the street in the meantime.

Feeling very relaxed after our massages, we strolled toward the beach. We encountered a wedding party on the way.

 
... then we had lunch at a forgettable (but absurdly expensive) beachside place. We saw: a clacking crow seeking scraps from the restaurant; musicians in white cotton, carrying their instruments along the beach; a line of happy tourists, be-hatted with balloons, zigzagging on the sand toward some unknown destination; a cruise ship in the distance.

After lunch, Pam veered off for a sweet vacation nap at the condo, while Jackie and I continued on the beach, before walking up to 5th Avenue for shopping. She sought gifts for friends, family, and colleagues; I wanted a pair of pants. We accomplished our mission over the course of a couple of hours, then headed home.

We love the decor of many of the restaurants and lounges -- very modern, chic, fun.

Occasionally, there is a miss, as at the gelato place Jackie and I stopped at; the chairs looked so invitingly comfortable, but we each felt like Lily Tomlin's little-girl character in a giant chair.The only way we could sit in these chairs without having our legs stick out in front of us was to perch on the edge of the seats. We chose to move instead.

In the evening, we took a long walk to enjoy dinner at La Cueva del Chango. Lush secret-garden setting, beautifully-presented food, soft sounds of water and background music surrounded us. Charming owner and staff. Loved it.

 

After dinner, we enjoyed coffee at Ah Cacao. I had a cafe americano; Jackie a mocha; and Pam a cappachino. On the way back home, we caught the vestiges of the artists' alley off of 5th Avenue, and looked in the windows of the romantic Byblos Restaurant.

Where I live ... this month

My temporary home in Playa del Carmen:

Imodium

... the traveler's friend.

Pink lights

Pink lights on 5th Avenue in Playa del Carmen:

Outside my classroom door

In the International House in Playa del Carmen, here are the views outside my classroom door.

Google Voice v. Gmail video chat v. Skype

I was hopeful I'd be able to use my Google Voice number to make and receive calls while I am in Playa del Carmen. Alas, that is not to be, although I can receive voice mail via my laptop when folks call my GV number.

I can use gmail video chat, however, as long as the other person has signed on to same. 

I've signed up with Skype and, after preliminary sound glitches, loaded myself up with some Skype credit, and have successfully called two land lines in the U.S. Cost = 2.3 cents per minute.

TEFL students - a good-looking lot

It is fascinating that all of my fellow TEFL colleagues are attractive and interesting. I look forward to learning more about them.

Without compromising anonymity, a brief run-down of our most superficial characteristics --> out of 10 students:

• Six Americans (1 Texas, 2 Colorado, 1 California, 1 Missouri, and 1 Delawarean who's lived in Mexico for a number of years)
• One Dutch
• One Welsh
• One Australian
• One South African

Seven women; three men

I'm going to guess that eight of the 10 are under 40-ish, some considerably so. Two are over 50.

Embarrassingly, I've yet to get down to the beach. I've seen glimpses of it - and it looks ... the only possible word is .... glorious.  By the time I arrived on Saturday and got settled in, it was already dark. Today, in addition to honing my getting-lost skills, I had money-changing to do, and then getting some  provisions at Wal-Mart after getting out of class about 7:00 p.m.

I've not taken a single photo.

I did pick up a delicious cafe americano here. 

I will try to get down to the beach in the morning before class starts.

Laying the groundwork for a new career

Today I am in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. I've rented a condo for a month. And for that month, my worldly possessions fit into a small wheeled carry-on and a backpack.

Tomorrow I start a CELTA course in teaching English as a foreign language.

When I finish, I should have a certificate that, in theory, will let me work just about anywhere in the world. Which is really what I've wanted to do from the time I was an adolescent - travel the globe.

During the month, friends Pam and Jackie will join me for a week; later, my mother and Brother3 will join me for a week over Thanksgiving.

As I write this, I hear nearby church bells sounding the hour.

Progress report: Stuff divestment - Did I make the deadline?

Monday, November 1:

• Bath towel - now cut up for good rags by my mother
• Scanned/uploaded/shredded contents of a business file

Tuesday, November 2:

• Scanned and uploaded previously framed photos; then put in envelope to give to daughter; 
• Scanned and uploaded some vital documents, then sent the originals to a family member; 
• Folded my house supply of OTC aspirin, etc. into my mother's cache (and disposed of her five-year old ibuprofen); 
• Distributed the last of handyman-type things, e.g. masking tape, duct tape, caulk, etc. to siblings - or pitched the unwanted;
• Scanned, but then destroyed, some very old recollections about adolescent friends - they served no one any good by keeping them; 
• Socks - threw some out; donated some; kept some
• Out with the old toiletry bag; in with a new
• Donated blow dryer

It amazes me how interminably tedious it is to divest myself of the most mundane things.

Wednesday, November 3:

• Completed the scanning and uploading of the balance of documents that comprises my little histoire du moi, and handed off the binder of hard-copies to my daughter - I feel very good about finishing that task! Plus, she now has the dubious privilege of storing things like my high school and college diplomas, while I float unencumbered. 
• Friend Kate kindly accepted an old pair of scissors that she will use in her garden
• It's getting ugly: I left a gigantic box of Q-tips in friend Pam's guest room - call it guerrilla stuff divestment

Thursday, November 4, through Saturday, November 7: 

• Donated tapestries from Ecuador and Peru to the local charity thrift store + more clothing;
• Ditto for the almost-new blender ... and it shattered into pieces when the bag broke as I transferred it to the hands of the thrift-store volunteer .... another great lesson in ... something or another about life;
• Scanned and uploaded my laptop and voice recorder receipts, then tore up the originals 

Did I make my deadline? No. Here's how it ended up. 

• My camping gear is stacked neatly in a small area in my mother's garage. 
• With the exception of my car, all of my worldly goods are in my mother's small guest closet. The door closes easily, and there's even some of her stuff in there. 
• The good news is: With the exception of what to do with seasonal-type clothes, I could well achieve my goal of getting all of my stuff into a suitcase and a backpack. Maybe. Stay tuned.

Carrying jewelry

If I were backpacking around the world, I wouldn't mess with jewelry other than a single pair of earrings.

If I were going for an extended trip somewhere, I'd tuck away a small assortment (e.g. 2 or 3 pairs of earrings and perhaps one necklace) into my cosmetic bag.

But since I'm going rootless, and because I aspire to get all my belongings into one carry-on and a backpack, I want a more permanent solution for carrying my jewelry. I don't have a lot of it, and I've winnowed it down even more during my Great Stuff Divestment, but even so, I have more than I can tuck into a cosmetic bag.

Below is the product I settled on:

I bought it through Jewelry Box Direct here.

It's only 8 x 5 1/2 " closed. Good size; lightweight. I like that I just zip it rather than having to roll and tie it.

I'd prefer that it be in a brighter color, to make it easier to spot among my other things. Or just as importantly, to make it easier to notice when I don't see it.

On accumulating and keeping stuff

From this NYT article, Documenting Accumulation and Its Discontents, why it can be so hard to let things go:

Per Dr. Catherine Roster:  “Getting rid of a possession means abdicating all the pleasures and rights of that possession. And that freaks people out. It goes like this: ‘I got this from Aunt Maria; I can’t get rid of it. I spent a lot of money on this; I can’t get rid of it. I wore this a year ago, I might wear it again; I can’t get rid of it. If I get rid of it, I’ve lost all these opportunities.’ That’s a kind of death.”

Speaking of Dr. Roster, who'd have thought there was such a thing as the National Study Group of Chronic Disorganization?

Carrying electronics paraphernalia

Every little techno-gadget comes with an umbilical cord or charger or both. And since there's very little standardization for the various he/she intersections, the result is a potential headache of keeping track of similar-but-different cords, cables, and other small parts. All, of course, in the ubiquitous black or white.

Fortunately, I had two well-designed, compartmentalized cases that Ethiopian Airlines gives to it first class passengers. (Thank you, Yoseph!) Normally, these zippered cases hold comfort items such as toothpaste/toothbrush, shaving cream/razor, an eyemask, a pair of socks, etc.

But it's also perfect for the electronics stuff.

The case holds:

1. Battery charger for my camera
2. Charger for my cell phone
3. Outlet converter for my mp3 player charger
4. Mp3 player cable for attachment to a stereo system
5. Mp3 player charger cable
6. Camera cable for connection to a PC
7. Voice recorder cable for connection to a PC

I like that the zippered interior is of mesh fabric for easy location of the desired items. 

Progress report: Stuff transformance

Monday, October 25:

I processed tax records as follows:

• For tax years 2004 and earlier, I shredded all of the tax documents.
• For tax years 2005 and 2006, I scanned and uploaded the tax returns only. Then I shredded the hard-copy returns and the supporting documentation.
• For tax years 2007 through 2009, I scanned and uploaded the tax returns and the supporting documentation, then shredded all of the hard copies. 

Here's what the IRS says about keeping tax records. 


Tuesday, October 26:

• Scanned the contents of a file box of documents, uploaded same, then shredded them.
• Passed along an unopened packet of subject dividers for a binder. 
• Reviewed old (as in 2003 and thereabouts) backup CDs for items of interest; found some, uploaded them; destroyed the CDs.

Wednesday, October 27:

• Gave away a metal utensil holder. 
• Released to the wild Heinlein's Orphans of the Sky and Red Planet (1949 version).

Thursday, October 28:

• Donated a portable hanging-file folder box, complete with hanging file folders, to local charitable thrift store. 
• Ditto for some clothing, a purse, and two clutches of CD/DVD jewel cases. 

Friday, October 29:

Tried valiantly to make a plastic, two-drawer file storage thingie work at my mother's house -- in two different closets, in the basement. No good. I salvaged the plastic drawers as containers for future Agape Thrift Store donations, and put the frame out to the trash.

Saturday, October 30:

• With a bit of a wrench, put a never-used collapsible cooler, in a handsome khaki color, with a great shoulder strap and outside pocket (for cutlery and salt), into the donation box. This item was the twin to one I have used; I bought both at the same time years ago because they were on sale and because they were so damn cool. I experienced a bit of a micro-ethical dilemma --> do I donate the one I've used and keep the never-used or do I donate the never-used and keep the used? I made my decision, but will let that remain in suspense for possible conjecture by others, which may reflect well or poorly on my perceived character. Or pragmatism.   
• More clothes into the donation box.

Sunday, October 31:

My November 6 deadline for stuff divestment looms. Today: 

• More clothes to donation box
• Scanned and uploaded a labor-intensive travel journal; giving hard copy original to daughter
• Scanned and uploaded my high school creative-writing papers. Even though some are excruciatingly embarrassing, I kept them for so long, I could not yet toss them out. Well, I did toss out the hard-copy originals, but only after spending hours creating virtual copies of same. 
• "Processed" a ziploc bag of toiletries

This is very dull reading, I imagine.

It's at the point where the doing of it is very dull, too. It's drudgery. Before the adventure must come the drudgery of pulling out the final tenacious roots from the hard clay soil.

Tomorrow: more of the same.

Paying my way

I've been hanging out at my mother's house for a couple of weeks, and I'm counting that as a visit.

But in the near future, I'll be at her house for a month or so. 

A conversation about money was necessary.

This involved wrestling her to the floor on the subject of my paying rent while I stay at her house.

She said she doesn't need the rent, which is true, but I explained that this was irrelevant. If I don't pay her rent, then I'm not living rootless, I'm just living rent-free. Not the same thing at all.

Being debt-free

I couldn't go rootless if I were laden with debt.

For me, putting money aside for the future and living below my means are easy. But that's because I like to do these things.

For those who struggle with money, I'm a fan of Dave Ramsey's approach to getting debt free. I also like his motto: If you can live like no one else, later you can live like no one else.

I really feel for college students burdened with gargantuan debt. Even for my modest student loans, it took me ten years to pay them off.  I think 20 years might be the norm today.

Final "rooted" bills

I've paid my final bills for:

• Natural gas and electric; 
• Water and sewer; and
• Landline and dsl internet connection. 

Earlier, I paid my final bill for trash services, and on the third working day of October, I made my final mortgage payment.

Health screenings

I have health insurance now, but I may not have any in the future.

To be boringly responsible, then, I'm making sure to have some basic screening tests before I completely pull up roots:

Pap smear
Mammogram
Colonoscopy
Skin survey

Somewhere recently, I read a blogger's list of things to do to achieve completely stress-free travel. Some of the to-do's on his list were pretty anal-retentive, but the idea was to get stress-free, so it one must be anal-retentive to get there, then so be it.

These basic screenings allow me to prevent some items from even getting onto a worry list. 

Chucking it all

How - or how not - to do it:

How to Be a Bum, by Tom Chartier (formerly of The Rotters) (and this is as good a time as any to note that just because I link to a site does not mean I endorse the views of that site or its host sites)

On Chucking It All: How Downshifting To A Windswept Scottish Island Did Absolutely Nothing to Improve My Life, by Max Scratchman, in The Independent

Trans-Siberian Railway

Friend Pam directed my attention to this travel blog, Flying Coach.

Flip and Sarah are currently describing, in serial installment fashion, their Trans-Siberian Railway trip. Crisp, beautiful photos. Friendly color commentaries of experiences. 

A seasoned traveler, Pam is feeling enticed by the possibilities of a Trans-Siberian Railway trek.

Hoo-wee, The Man in Seat Sixty-One offers what appears to be an exhaustive study of a T-SR trip here for those ready to move from dream to reality.

But if you get carsick easily, here you can take the virtual Moscow-Vladisvostok leg of the trip right this minute. En route you can listen to the rumble of the train's wheels or a Russian radio station, or have War and Peace read aloud to you in Russian.

There's an accompanying interactive map that lets you "explore the surroundings." 

Below is an abridged, silent version of the trip.

Progress report: More stuff divestment

Saturday, October 23:

• Distributed double sheets + pillowcases + army blanket to Brother5
• Distributed woven basket from Borneo to Brother3 (from whom I originally bought said item)

Sunday, October 24:

• Gave lovely small vase to Brother2 and sister-in-law
• Distributed a piece of family-icon driftwood to Brother3, which I had saved from the trash some years ago
• Distributed another piece of driftwood, of lesser family symbology, to a ritual fire pit

I need to pick up the pace on this final stuff divestment. My deadline for all-but-camping-gear stuff is Saturday, November 6.