time to let go...

Well, this is not the usual post...but the house is ready to be sold!

Check it out and make an offer!

OUR SUPER AWESOME HOUSE YOU SHOULD LIVE IN NEXT!

Delight of Adventure With a Grain of Salt...

I have been thinking a lot about what drives people to do things. One could say that this started as self analysis. I have found myself feeling more sad than I had expected to finally be making the decision to move abroad. This, after all has been my goal for many years. So, why is it that now that it is actually happening, there is a part of me that would rather not?

I discussed this at length with my friend Mr. P, who happens to be rather brilliant at making observations about human behaviour, and I often enjoy hearing his point of view. His take on this mild malaize, is that when one pushes themselves so hard to go after a goal which for a long time seems out of reach and nearly impossible, the build up for that final moment is so intense that it becomes unrealistic. So no wonder then, that once you get there, all of a sudden it is totally anti-climactic. I thought this could be it, but upon further reflection, I decided that this was not the case for me.

So, my self-analysis was at square one. Then I decided I ought do one of those pro's and con's list. This is when it hit...somewhere  along the way in these last few years, I found a place that has become my home. My little fixer-upper has suddenly turned into the dream that I saw when I first bought it. We have finally settled into a routine of doing things just how we like them, we found our favourite restaurants, we love where we live and the kittens are happy. And most importantly of all, I finally have a fabulous hairdresser! These are the things that I wish I didn't have to change...............

Ah ha! There it is! Fear of change.

Fear of change is the thing that always drops that tiny grain of salt onto the sweet delight of a new adventure. And it is no matter how exciting, or well researched, or well prepared for a change one is, there is always that element of the unknown. For those who have made significant, international moves before, you know that there are things that always come up that make these changes particularly difficult.

It is no wonder I am feeling some anxiety about this. I am going to a country where although most speak English, I don't know the native language. Which means that once again I will be in an environment where communication is difficult. Where I can't understand, and where others don't understand me. Where they pickle their fish in all sorts of coloured sauces, and where the concept of salad as we know it is a weird foreign thing. But there is more to this I think...

Could it be that I, who in the last fifteen years began living a life of constant moving, trying new things, doing as I please and being afraid of settling, am finally ready to root down? Or, is it that all of these things have been a somewhat misguided search for home? Home: defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as 1. one's place of residence (check - got one of those), 2. the social unit formed by a family living together (check - got a bunch of beasts at home for dinner every day), 3. a familiar or usual setting; congenial environment; the focus of one's domestic attention (yes, yes and yes).

So, how do I brave the storms of this heavy change and come out on the other end smiling?

Maybe, looking at the things that will stay the same will help see me through. Those that are most important will be coming with me. They will be the ones that will now be part of this next adventure. Someone to share the excitement with, someone to comfort me when the changes overwhelm. I go forth achieving my dreams with the support of the best back up team! I'm the luckiest girl in the world!

Well then. Harold Wilson said: "He who rejects change is the architect of decay.The only human institution that rejects progress is the cemetery."

And by golly, I ain't dead yet! (Although, doing all the final renos to the house nearly did me in...but who's dwelling on the past...4 hours and 20 days.)

Kitty adventure of the international kind...

So, now that the decision is firmly made, I thought that it would be fun to share all the itty, bitty, dreadfully tedious steps of preparing for an international move. If only to help me deal with the situation and maybe help answer some questions that you may have...assuming you are like me scouring the internet for any info you can find.

I am lucky enough to already hold an EU citizenship, so this part is no stress. But my kittens do not. And since they are coming with me, it is important that I get them sorted out and ready to go when time comes. Fortunately, this move is something I have been thinking about for a while, so I did some research ahead of time. It turns out it's good that I did, because taking animals to Sweden from a non-EU country is a long process. Otherwise your pet goes to pet jail (aka. quarantine) for a while and I'm pretty sure they will already be quite miffed at being stuck in a tiny cage for hours on end....no need to add insult to injury.

Moving cats or dogs to Sweden requires that your pets are vaccinated for rabies and micro chipped. The micro chip is a specific type, and once vaccinated you have to wait 120 days before they can be tested for sufficient anti bodies. Then they have to be de-warmed just before you leave. Start planning now! And, don't forget to have your vet fill out a form that details all the info. This document will be required at the time of inspection when crossing the border. You can get more info and a link to the form here:

http://goscandinavia.about.com/od/swede1/qt/dogtosweden.htm 
The good news for those of you who prefer to travel through Copenhagen, Denmark rather than Stockholm or Gothenburg, this is also possible. Although, slightly different rules apply:


http://goscandinavia.about.com/od/swede1/qt/dogtodenmark.htm

Something Happened On the Way To Peace and Quiet...

All right, all right. I have been totally ignoring the blog. It's not that I ran out of opinions, it's just that suddenly things got so very, very busy.

I find it fascinating that one can go months at a time, bored out of their minds, inventing all sorts of drama for entertainment, and then as soon as the decision to calm down is reached all hell breaks loose and the universe dumps buckets of adventure on your head.

Well, this is exactly what has happened to me. After our trip to Puerto Rico, where I spent just enough time to realize that my stress levels are pretty astronomical and where I also made the resolution to slow down the thoughts in my head and relax a little, the perverbial shit hit the fan. It turns out that when you taunt the universe with threats of stirring the pot a little, it eventually gets annoyed and dishes out what you deserve. Don't get me wrong, it's a tasty offering, but definitely 'Mer'can sized!

I have for some time been mildly underwhelmed in my professional development, thus arriving at the decision that a more challenging career may be in order. Don't get me wrong. I still love my job, I just have a serious need to start learning something new again and nourish the brain. I work for a company where if one chooses to do so, one can pursue new avenues. I poked around a bit, and it turns out that something stuck and it may in fact lead to a move. As a result, panic has ensued....

Who knew that if you ask you shall recieve?

So now, I have been furiously making lists and getting things sorted out so that I can pursue the new opportunity abroad. Which means that suddenly, there are many things that have to be done urgently, such as getting the felines vaccinated. It turns out that this is the first you have to do to get ready. To avoid sending the kittens to kitty jail (aka. quarantine), they must have a rabies vaccination and be tested no earlier than 120 days after to ensure that the antibodies are at the right level. They will also have to be micro-chipped, but this will happen later. Oh, and we are also thinking selling the house would be a good idea too. But this means that now, all of a sudden, the to do list that has been quietly hanging on the fridge for the last year has started screaming obscenities as it demands our attention. So, we have mustered all our might and have commenced painting, tiling, cleaning, etc, etc.....

Busy, busy, busy....so now it seems that perhaps I have a new direction for the blog. We are going on a new life journey! Exciting, isn't it....well, at least it is now that the panic is subsiding.

Intermission of employment

Alright, so I have been ignoring the blog for a while, because I have been trying to take a vacation from my life. It's been a very full few months and I am one of those people who can go for a long time...but when I get knackered, I need serious down time.

My attempt at serious down time was a 3 day jaunt to Puerto Rico, which was delightful in every way, except for the 3 day bit. Coming home on a packed plane full of grumpy people who clearly felt that their vacationing time was also sub par, I started thinking about the idea of a vacation itself...

I am fortunate enough at this stage in my life to be able to take a trip here and there. But, I am finding that the longer I live in the US, the shorter my vacations get. To be fair, I don't remember having long vacations when I lived in Canada, but at the time I didn't have the means to take any vacations other than just 'I am not at work, yeay!' vacations....But I also don't ever remember being in such a need of a vacation as I do now.

Could it be, that living on the east coast of a very metropolitan area, has over time made me into a short attention spanned, low tempered, needing constant external input basket case? What would happen if I suddenly found myself without the means to escape the rat race....or worse yet, if I was dropped into a desert without restaurants, movie theaters or shopping. Would I implode and become the next best thing to the Hadron Collider? I'm sure it would be quite spectacular!

I work in an international company with colleagues of many cultural backgrounds. We have often discussed our dreams and wishes for vacations, as well as our expectations for what a 'vacation' truly is. One thing is for sure, that no matter how much vacational funding people do or do not have, and no matter what culture people may come from, there is always a group who delight in the 'I am not at work, yeay!' vacation. These are the ones who find it most relaxing to simply sleep in, stay in their pj's all day and not really leave the house all that much. Then there are those who don't consider it a vacation until they sleep in a bed that is not their own, located somewhere which is not their home (i.e. Puerto Rico). As you may have guessed I am the latter, although, there is something to be said about staying in bed until noon just because you can.

One thing that is also universally clear, is that the more time you have off, the better you feel and that a vacation isn't really a vacation until it is at least 5 days planned as a 'time off' (feel free to comment on this if you are of another opinion). This excludes days off in between work shifts or random acts of God such as 6 feet of snow overnight, broken limbs, etc....

However, the most interesting thing to note is that some cultures do not think a vacation is a vacation, unless it is at least 2 weeks off. This being the Scandinavian cultures, who find it customary to take 2 to 5 week vacations and will look at you as though you've sprouted a second head when you tell them that you just had a vacation in Puerto Rico for 3 days. (We are not pointing fingers Mr.L). This is interesting to me, simply because I just cannot wrap my head around the concept of taking that much time off. This has never happened to me before and I certainly can't imagine that I would be productive upon my return to work after such a time, assuming that I could bring myself to come back at all. As it is, I can hardly remember all the passwords after 3 days of piña coladas, never mind three weeks! My brain would be absolute mush and I would have to re-learn everything I need to know all over again. Not the type of a learning curve I am looking for in my career.

Could it be that our approach to vacation is related to our approach to working? In 'Mer'ca, if you work 8 hours a day, you are a slacker who has no passion for your job and is grossly underachieving. In places like Sweden for example, if you work more than 8 hours a day, you are incompetent and can't manage the tasks assigned to you. Hmmm, perhaps those people find it slightly more satisfying to have productive work lives balanced with quality 'I am not at work, yeay!' time. Perhaps, if one were to measure the 'Happiness Index' of all the countries in the world, one might find some interesting insight into who is feelin' chill and who is feelin' a little stressed.  Of course matters of economy and various governmental influences may also have an impact here, but to me it seems that those countries who value the time and environment outside of work are much happier indeed...(and here I make sweeping generalizations).

All I am really saying is that a 3 day trip to Puerto Rico only served to show me how high my un-relaxation has been over the last few months, but was no where long enough to start washing any of it away. Oh well...at this point I'm just counting down the hours to Good Friday, which I took off to make myself feel like I am having a little, mini 'I am not at work, yeay!' vacation.

Containers for the things contained

Don't you just hate it when time comes to move or you're just doing some spring cleaning and after a rewarding day freeing yourself of clutter you come to a face off:

you vs. the box (you packed 10 years ago and have been moving ever since!)

It seems that most people have one or a few of those in their attic or basement or wherever...but why?

I have thought about this at length, because just this weekend Mr. J and I were doing a little clean up with a resolution that we really don't need two of everything. (Mostly I just finally am giving in and deciding that he's allowed to stay for a long time...maybe even forever...dare we say it out loud and not jinx it!).

We in fact had a few of those boxes in the attic, and spurred by the free shredding happening at the local IKEA, we decided to tackle this with such fervor that not even a lunch break was allowed. It was very interesting indeed to pull the boxes one by one, and rediscover the years of our youth gone by...

I found it interesting the we looked through the papers and miscellaneous items with curiosity, but also a little nervousness...maybe a little dread. After not looking into them in so long, we completely forgot what was there. The anticipation of finding something that reminded us of sad times, or something that we've worked so hard all these years to forget, completely overshadowed all the pleasant surprizes...all the little pieces of paper that reminded us of the fun, the carelessness of our young lives, when carefree living made us just dump these things into a box and go...

So why is that things that we cared to pack up one day, had become this dead weight that we have carried from place to place for so long instead? Why are these boxes in particular the ones that we did not unpack? What is this fear that humans have? It is interesting to me when people mention how they deal with these mystery boxes (or for some maybe just folders or envelopes)...they let them be until some arbitrary amount of time passes and they throw them out. I have in the past simply thrown a box away...never checking what was in it.

Perhaps these little time capsules are our coping mechanisms. They are the devices we use to stow away our troubles, our memories that we wish to forget until we feel strong enough to let them go. Maybe they represent emotional bonds to places or people that we simply couldn't let go until we take them to the curb.

Or maybe, they are simply a symptom of our poor ability to manage clutter. Could it be that simple?

Well, this is a conundrum that I am sure could cost thousands of dollars in quality shrink time, but the fact remains that the boxes are gone. Our work is done. We feel lighter...We are moving on...

'Tis the season

Alright, so it seems that (at least for this week) winter is over. I hope it is, because the daffodils are 6 inches high and it would be a shame to see them being crushed by another foot of snow! It also seems that the birds are in a jolly good mood, as their morning song is so much more melodic these last few days.

This is the part of Pennsylvania that I really love the most. When the world begins to wake from it's wintery slumber, and suddenly the sun shines a little brighter and little bits of green start to shoot out of the ground.

One thing can be said for sure, you really get all four seasons here and each one of them is marvelous in the very best way it can. So, you may ask: what should I expect from the seasons in Philadelphia? Well, let's start with the natural begining:

SPRING
 
The days are getting warmer, but nights are still very cold.
The Philadelphia spring is wonderful, because this is when you realize how much nature there really is around you. There are fantastic parks all around suddenly bursting into fresh greenery. If you are here, this is the time to start exploring. Philadelphia has an extensive park system which connects the city to many outlying townships, and biking, running or walking these trails is a wonderful experience. This path system is part of Fairmount Park, which is considered one of the countries largest urban parks. It's really a treat to have this much nature in your back yard! This and all the other little parks throughout the area are perfect for catching the first glimpses of nature coming back to life.
It's also the best time to head into the city for first glimpses of the new spring fashions that all the fashionistas pull out of their closets. There are places to go and be seen and definitely something for everyone if you are more of a city kid. To find out what is going on in the city check out the Center City Philadelphia website.
Or simply go running up the stairs like Rocky, and visit the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Their spring line up is phenomenal, starting with a Picasso show....and so much more. And yes, those really are the stairs that Rocky run up. His statue is just to the right of the stairs.

SUMMER

The days are hot and humid and so are the nights. If you are planning to live in Philly, plan to have an air conditioner, because without it you will be hot...H-O-T...hot...and sticky. Most people are not prepared for the level of humidity during the Philly summers. It makes for spectacular evening thunderstorms. Inevitably, if you are not afraid of thunder, you will find yourself with a glass of wine, all lights turned off and watching the show. These storms are incredible!
Summer is not a graceful season, especially in the city because the nights really are just as hot as the days so everyone ends up looking a little wilted. But, the food scene in Philadelphia is so fantastic that these summer nights are well worth suffering through. You can find anything you like here...it rivals New York! But be prepared to book a table in advance. Philladelphians enjoy going out! If you're a little worried about making the best entrance on the Philly scene, check out Open Table, where you can read about the hippest places to go and collect points redeemable for restaurant certificates.
This is also the best season to explore the areas surrounding Philly. Go to Atlantic City for a little casino action, Cape May for a lovely beech experience. If the beech is not your thing go for the Poconos. There is so much to do in the summer, that you will not be bored...just hot and sweaty.

AUTUMN

Now that I think about it, this may be my favourite season in Pennsylvania. The whole entire world turns into oranges, reds and yellows! You have never seen such amazing changing of the leaves. This is the time to go exploring the interior of Pennsylvania. The drive is guaranteed to be spectacular! If you're up for a weekend driving adventure, this is a great time to visit Fallingwater, Frank Lloyd Wright's famous architecture. Or take the Northeast Extension past Allentown to the Delaware Water Gap. Or stay close to home and visit many other places which host fall festivals. My favourites are Skippack Village and Chestnut Hill.

WINTER

This is one of those tricky seasons in Philly, because sometimes it snows and sometimes it rains ice...as in you will be chiseling your car door open. So, remember all the fantastic places you visited and enjoyed in the summer? Now you should head back there to enjoy Holiday festivities and general merriment.
If you have Christmas shopping on the brain, then as I mentioned in the previous posts, this is not only the best country to be in for that, but also remember that Philly boasts one of the best Shopping Malls in King Of Prussia, great outlet mall in Limerick, and many others. Then when you feel like you need to work off the amazing food you've been enjoying in the city, head back to the Poconos for some fab skiing.

The best thing about the seasons in Philly is that there is something for everyone, and so life can be a great adventure enjoyed by all.

For now, I am just happy that the birds are singing once again, and that a walk in Fort Washington Park is not an Arctic expedition. Soon, the bicycle will get dusted off and my winter laziness will be biting me in the ass.....again! Hurray for spring!