...shipwrecked...

K.I.S.S.

Keep it simple, sassy! (Ok - I just like "sassy" more than "stupid" which is usually used with that phrase). And so here we are - after a round or four of more electronic downsizing. No PDA, no smartphone, no more PhD blog, no twitter, occassional photo updates, even more occasional FB, and regular email. If you want to find me, email me. It's just easier. And now that I'm in a major ""simplify my life kick", I'll even have time to write you back...with any luck! Watch this space, I might even update the blog more than once a month!

One last warning - life, the universe and the PhD will be included in one blog...I'm just tired of multi-tasking. So welcome to the new and improved ...shipwrecked...blog! What a long, strange trip it's been...

Shrinking my big, fat carbon footprint...first step...

It has finally happened. After living in the UK for 8 years, I'm officially a daily train commuter. After the big move to Surrey, I was driving more than an hour each way to get to work - and that was in ideal conditions without huge traffic jams which have been common. Not counting the time and drama of fighting traffic on the M4 twice a day, it was looking to cost close £400.00 in petrol money (for the US readers that's about $650.00 a month). Beyond that - I was racing up and down with the world and his wife running the constant risk of being caught in the traffic jams which apparently only require a strong wind to happen. And at the end of the day, then there's the environmental impact of continuing to drive the car all over the place every day.  Filling up my gas tank every three days brought that impact into stark clarity.

What's a girl to do? Give up the car and catch the train of course! I've never been a big fan but I've now decided I love it! I catch a train to very close to my place of work and a free shuttle bus to my office. Easy...cheaper...and best of all...WAY more environmentally sound! I love my car...but I love knowing that I'm doing something good for the environment even more. Yes - initially the motivation was the impact on my wallet but the whole exercise has made me consider the concept of carbon footprints and ways to do more than just recycle as a way to lessen my impact the environment.

Do you know your carbon footprint? I've done one calculation before the big commuting change and it came to the idea that I'm currently living my life as if we had 3.53 planets to live on. And the carbon footprint? 18.46 tonnes of carbon per year!!! YIKES! And I always thought that I was fairly environmentally conscientous! Try it...it's a good exercise: http://footprint.wwf.org.uk/ And now I've recalculated given the change to trains and buses for getting to work...and if I'm honest, I had hoped the difference would be more dramatic. I'm now down to 3.24 planets and 14.46 tonnes of carbon.

Hmmm...I'm signing up for the WWF email now to learn about what else I can do. What are you going to do?????

Sleepless in Surrey...

The dust has settled. The boxes are empty. The furniture is in the right places. The cats have almost settled into their new home. Me? I’m getting there – slowly but surely . That said, last night was quite sleepless. I suspect I’m still getting used to the sound of the occasional train passing the house during the night. And I do miss the sound of the wind howling down around our cottage from the Ridgeway. Still…all in all, the move seems to be a success! There are still piles of random items that need homes. I’m still missing my security pass for work. But all things considered, it went well.
 
What now? Back to a more routine sort of life, I think. My commute is about an hour each way which leaves loads of time to listen to audio-books, podcasts, and music galore. Strangely – I’m finding the commute is a nice bit of “me-time”…a chance to download my head after work before going home to husband, cats and in-laws.   There will be a few residual bills to pay in the aftermath of the move as the various utility companies try to figure out what to charge for their final bill.  The post office is currently having walk-outs and strikes in various areas around the country (I think that’s a summer tradition in England!) so our post won’t start to be forwarded until this Friday, even though I paid for the service to start 2 weeks ago! Beyond all of that, it’ll be so nice to just have a little more “dosh” at the end of each paycheck. Less bills on the horizon is a lovely feeling and it opens the doors for more visits back to the US.
 
All of that said, last night was (as previously indicated) a bit on the sleepless side. I was thinking about our wee cottage and how it was the first proper home that DAC and I moved into after choosing together. Previously, I had been a warden in hall’s at Southampton University and so we had free accommodation as a result. It was a VERY small flat but it was all ours. Despite that fact, Corner Cottage still feels like our first home on so many levels. And I do miss every inch of it! Strangely though, in my 3am mental meanderings, I realized that when I moved into the cottage, I had a load of plans…lose a bit of weight, exercise and dive more, make serious progress on the PhD, etc. etc. And sadly – little to none of that has happened. It’s quite depressing really to have to admit that! Honestly – we lived there for three years and I have no clue where the time has gone.  I’ve been all talk about most things and have no action.  On the plus side, I HAVE become a better time thief…a morning person in spades (at least most of the time!)! I’m up at 5am and on the road no later than 6:30…and home by about 5:30. And now that we don’t have our own enormous garden/yard to deal with, I actually have way more time on my hands. I’m lucky that DAC’s dad loves his outdoor garden work and doesn’t actually want any help.
 
It’s a new place to live, a new UK county to explore, new pubs to try, and new paths to walk. I’ve been suspended from the PhD for quite a while but that’s going to end soon. I’m going to rearrange the sitting room ONE MORE TIME so that I can have a tiny work-out area and start exercising again. I’ve worked into our new budget that I can buy a salad from the café near work every day to prevent me from excusing more unhealthy and expensive options and to have one less thing to worry about when I’m home. In all – I’m choosing to see this move as a good thing even if I’m not convinced of that status every second of every day…I’m hoping that confidence will grow in time. DAC is doing a similar thing, I think. He’s informed his family that he’s not staying in his job as a high school teacher…he explained that he’s going to find a job that doesn’t make him miserable the way teaching was doing.
 
So, it looks like a fresh start all over for both of us, separately and together.  Since that’s the case, back to blogging, back to the daily photo project (now that I’ve found the camera again!) and back to the PhD…and all…hopefully…with a bit more headspace and far fewer financial woes and worries.

Sea-change coming!

Full fathom five thy father lies:
Of his bones are coral made:
Those are pearls that were his eyes:
Nothing of him that doth fade
But doth suffer a sea-change
Into something rich and strange.

~~Shakespeare, The Tempest

Time does absolutely fly when your life is in a bit of chaos. At the end of June, DAC and I ran away to the Gower to sit on the beach and talk the day away.  In the course of that day, we made BIG decisions which will have very long-term effects. I have offically decided that the only place on the planet where BIG decisions should be made is sitting on a beach with my wonderful husband and watching the sea.

SO...DAC is leaving teaching high-school and has, in fact, already worked his final day. Next, he's going to take a bit of time off to figure out how to change career paths completely. Back to university lecturing? Publishing? Library work? Or perhaps even Occupational Therapy? The world is his to command. The job we do in life to keep body and soul together should NOT make us miserable. And it is high time, I had a happy husband who enjoyed his day job!

To facilitate this, on the 12th of August we are moving to his parents house in Surrey. No rent, no council tax, no electric or water or heating bills! And they've got three empty rooms we can have to ourselves.

It's all very exciting and filled to the rim with major life changes. It's a bit overwhelming at times...especially since I haven't lived with my parents in almost 20 years. And now to be moving in with someone else's parents seems a bit strange. But hey...they've been very sweet and helpful about everything and I've always loved a challenge! It's a bit scary at times too...but that is no reason to stay ashore!

And besides, I LOVE MOVING! It always feels like a fresh start. It's the perfect time to get rid of things you're not using, to donate clothes and furniture and random things to charity, to have a major clear out in advance of moving into a new nest!

It's a big change but it's a sea-change...and that makes it all OK!