ROAD LESS TRAVELED

I read part of this poem in a novel I was reading and although its a little melancholy, I kind of liked it (lets face it , from time to time I can be a little melancholy). I actually thought of having a tattoo of the last three lines but it seems to me that script tattoos can be hard to get right. My friend's husband had a very detailed script tattoo in Chinese writing. I might wait until I'm next in the UK and go to the guy he goes too.

ROAD LESS TRAVELED

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth

Then took the other as just as fair
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black

Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet, knowing how way leads onto way
I doubted if I should ever come back
I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence
Two roads diverged in a wood
And I took the one less traveled by
And that has made all the difference
Robert Frost

Thoughts of the week...

Had a bit of a panic attack this weekend. Its started because I have a print I've had since I was a little girl. It is very age warn and the paper is so dry it's splitting. So one of my projects this weekend was to have this picture laminated.

Anyway when I took it out of the plastic rods it was hanging in it split a bit and then Staples said that they could laminate it BUT if the paper was heat sensitive I could run the risk of loosing the whole picture. All of a sudden I think this made me feel very insecure about the prospect of saying goodbye to a lot of my possessions. The idea of choosing a car load of 'things' and parting with the rest actually makes my stomach turn. Its stupid, I know, they are just things. I was talking to my Spanish teacher today about it, as she gave up her job as a lawyer and moved from Barcelona to America to teach and to write a novel. She says you don't even remember those things when you've gone, and of course having moved from Newcastle to Leeds and then England to New York, I know this to be true. I also went out for dinner with Jeff and Michele last night and Sue on Friday and that made me melancholy about loosing friends. BUT then I have not really seen Michele since November when we went to Mexico together and Sue for over a year. I'll probably see those people just as much when I leave. I suppose the print has childhood connections and when it tore and I'm told nothing can be done to preserve it I guess it feels very invasive. Well I have been trying to reason all of this out. The magnet on my fridge says 'leap and the net will appear'. I only wish you could see the net before you leaped and perhaps wear a safety harness:)
Spanish is going quite well. I'm getting better at conjugating my verbs and am now talking in past tense (with a little careful planning before I launch into my sentences). I don't think I will make it into future tense before I leave to Mexico, but I can always fall back on 'voy a' (I'm going to).
This trip to Mexico is actually very fortunate timing. It will give me the opportunity to thoroughly get a feel for whether this is what I want to do and catching up with Hans and Allie (and grilling them about their new lifestyle) will be great.
Looking forward to April 10. Only 2 weekends to go...

Bad Blogger

I have been very bad at blogging lately. Truth is I've been going through my winter hibernation period. Dieting, working out at the gym, teaching. All work and no play - nothing fun to report. Although I rather enjoy this whole winter process of re-grouping. This weekend I'm teaching an executive class. I have a Dive Master candidate, Fernando Sanchez, who is also a friend which is making this much more fun.

He's really as enthused about teaching, as I am(still after 2 years I love it). This is a good sign for a permanent career move. I don't think teaching all day could possibly drain the energy that working in an office does. Even the cocky students that irritate me end up being challenging in a good way and often nice once I've broken their spirits :)

Mexico Plans - still on schedule for a Labor Day weekend take off. Work has been sucking more than usual lately which makes me feel like I am totally making the right decision. I feel like God is digging me in the ribs with his elbow and saying 'go on you know its the right thing to do'. My saving plan has befallen a few small set backs (slightly smaller tax refund and Bonus than expected). BUT as soon as I get the dive shop's summer schedule I plan to reach out to another shop and a college I know and see if they need any instructors. A bit of hard work ahead of me but all well worth it I think. Oh yes I also got my passport! All systems go!!!!

I have decided to put off getting a dog until I arrive in Mexico, when I'm actually thinking I might get a little puppy. its so very tempting to get a little cute baby puppy and bring him up properly. OK checking out - going to get dinner with a friend CANNOT wait to get a nice meal:)

Car

Well I have a long check list of things to do before moving. Actually I'm currently in my pre-pre-moving checklist phase. This has involved:

Becoming a US Citizen (done)
Getting a US Passport (application in - not yet anxious)
Buying a sexy pink cow hide cover for my new US passport (done - last year actually - it pays to be prepared!)
Accumulating lots of Scuba equipment so I have a stash when I'm an impoverished instructor (done)
Getting back to my fighting weight after a lapse at the end of last year (in process - moving into 'body for life' phase)
Saving to pay off my car(DONE!!!!!!!!!!!).

After much belt tightening, a generous retirement gift from my mother and a slightly less than expected, tax refund, I have finally managed to pay off my car lone! The bank where I HAD the lone closed at 6 so I had to run from the train station arriving breathless at 5.50, which added to the drama. The teller was suitably impressed by my check for $15,575, which is actually the largest check I have ever written by far. Now I can take my little CRV to Mexico with me with no worries -just insurance which I'll probably pay for (1 year) in advance. Soon it will be time to move into the full pre-moving planning phase.

My dad is taking the drive with me and tells me that he is putting together a long check list for me. He's also planning the route which takes care of what will be one pre-move checklist item. I'm off to Mexico on April 10 for 10 days (4 days with customers from Hoboken Dive Center, which I do kind of enjoy and the rest free). I'll spend some time on that trip working on my pre-move check list - with a little help from Hans and Allie.