Fourth Blog-a-versary

It completely slipped my mind that my fourth blog-a-versary was imminent.  Slipped my mind so much so that it came & went!

I started blogging on May 4, 2013, right before we were on the verge of moving from Key West, FL to Kodiak, AK.

And now we're on the verge again.  This time, it's Sacramento, CA to Arlington, VA.  So that's my excuse for forgetting about my blog-a-versary.

Considering we just bid farewell to this round of movers and all of our worldly possessions, and were holed up in a hotel for a week before starting another cross-country road trip and move...I'm gonna go ahead and give myself a pass on this one!

Always nice to have all our crap in the driveway for all the world to see

Someone's not a fan of the chaos

I'm not surprised I feel the same way that I do every year when this time rolls around...which is it's hard to believe I'm still blogging.  I didn't really think about longevity when I started or where I thought I'd go with my little project.

I certainly didn't think years would pass and I'd still be at it.  Yet another example of my penchant for routines, I guess.

Cause here I am, 4 years later - still cranking out my two cents to whoever wants to tune in.

I won't pretend I hadn't hoped regularly blogging might lead somewhere, writing-wise.  But I'm okay with it just being my little hobby and writing routine kick in the butt.  Because I still believe, "hey, who knows where it might lead?"

So here we are, about to head into another overhaul of the familiar.  What can I say?  Here we go again.

Happy 4th blog-a-versary to me.

Ta-ta for now.

Third Blog-a-versary

 
As of May 4th, I've been blogging for 3 damn years!  And as I write this post, it's once again hard for me to believe I've kept at it for as long as I have.

I've had moments where I've thought about throwing in the towel.  But, then I remind myself that giving up on blogging is the exact opposite of what I should do if I want to improve my skills and stay sharp.

I think of this blog as my first step toward committing to a writing routine.  And who knows what that could lead to in the long run?  Like whoever "they" are say, you're not a writer if you don't write.  Practice, practice, practice.

At the very least it's a way to keep friends and family in the loop about what we're up to on this loony Coast Guard-driven path we're on.

And as I always hope, it's a platform to provide a hopefully entertaining diversion for anyone who decides to take the time to read my yammering.  And what can I say?  The whole process is fun for me.  

So what's the M.O. on this 3rd blog-a-versary?  Well, we're on the verge again.  The verge of another big move.  I had my last day of work not too long ago, and now it's time to start purging, cleaning, donating, packing, and fretting.

In a few short weeks, yet another humongous road trip awaits!  Kodiak, Alaska to Sacramento, California.  It'll start with a 9 hour ferry ride through the northern Pacific, include a combination of camping and hotel hopping in both wilderness and small towns, and end with a hopefully uneventful roll into our new home in northern California.

Hey, at least you know that means I'll have some interesting tales to tell as we weave our way through Alaska, Canada, and back down to the lower forty-eight.

Another grand adventure just around the corner...

Ta-ta for now.

My favorites

Second Blog-a-versary

It doesn't feel like I've been blogging for 2 years.  Two years??  Posting some nonsense every single week - mostly drivel, for two years?  Apparently.   So, happy second blog-a-versary to me.

I started writing A Grand Adventure on May 4, 2013 when the hubby and I were on the verge of a massive road trip from Key West, FL to Kodiak, AK.  And here I am, two years later...still babbling to anyone who decides to click.

I ask myself this question every so often.  Why do I blog?  Especially when I'm feeling like I don't have anything to say.  Or I don't think anyone is interested in reading what I have to say.  It usually comes up in more of a "Why do I even bother to do this?" question in moments of insecurity or doubt.

Because sometimes I have to wonder.  Why do I keep doing this?  Well, for one thing, it's a creative outlet for me.  I love to write.  Writing a new post each week keeps me in a solid writing routine.  Like they say - whoever they is - you're not a writer if you don't write.

I also like the process of coming up with new ideas for posts, planning out fun concepts, taking pictures, and documenting what this unconventional Coast Guard life is all about.  Sharing my little slice of the world with whoever wants to tune in is fun for me.

In a way, it makes me more mindful.  Knowing that I need to have a steady flow of topics to write about forces me to pay more attention.  To pay more attention to day to day happenings that I otherwise might have drifted past without giving a second thought about.

And it encourages me to reflect on passing ideas and musings that before I may not have considered exploring and delving into more deeply by writing about them. Scenarios and  sentiments that wouldn't have occurred to me to write about before jump out more often as potential blog topics now that I have this self-imposed expectation to write once a week.

I guess blogging is a hobby I've cultivated into a routine that I must get something out of.  Because I keep doing it.  And hopefully, people who take the time to read my posts get something out of it too.  A laugh.  Or a contemplative thought.  Maybe somehow they can relate in a positive way to what I'm saying.  Or maybe it's just a moment of entertainment. That's really what I'm going for:  to entertain and connect with readers. 

Too bad my "readers" are mostly silent and in my mind only about a dozen folks.  Mainly friends and family.  Not much of a following outside of people that know me.  Maybe that will change eventually.

In the mean time, I guess I'll take off my insecurity hat and carry on with spewing my nonsense.  Anyone out there?

Ta-ta for now.

A Year??

So, happy blog-a-versary to me.  This Sunday it'll be a year since I started yammering on to whoever feels like tuning in to my weekly inconsequential chatter.  But, hopefully mildly entertaining inconsequential chatter.

It's funny how time passing can feel both drawn-out and quick at the same time.  It doesn't
make any sense, but that's exactly how this past year has felt.  You'd think it would be one or the other. -  Ooozing along like molasses, or zipping by in a blur like most years seem to do the older I get.  But, it's a weird blending of both.

Packing up the truck at our house in Key West,
and our almost empty house - May, 2013

I think it's because we did a lot of living over the year.  An almost 8,500 mile, month long road trip from one corner of the country to the other has the tendency to shake things up a little.  When I think about what we were up to around this time last year, I get predictably nostalgic.

Remembering back to what it felt like being right on the brink of a massive change in lifestyle, geography, everyday routines...it's one of those indelible memories.  Anytime there's a hefty change coming in life, there's that inescapable, heightened sense of anticipation.  That unshakeable feeling of being right on the doorstep of the next chapter.  There's nothing like it.  Reflecting on this time last year reminds me of all those emotions.

We're almost one year in, but I've been constantly taking stock of what our first year in Alaska has been like in my posts over the year.  The re-cap posts I wrote are the short and sweet sum-ups of our Alaska, year one experience.  You can check them out here and here if you're feeling it.

So while I'm in a New Year's-esque "take stock of things" mind-set,  I've decided to take a breather from drinking any alcohol for a while.  My goal is an arbitrary 7 weeks.  (Well, it's not really arbitrary - it just so happened that when I decided to swear off the hooch, I was seven weeks away from a trip down to FL. - A little vacation down south is as good a time as any to jump back off the wagon!)

Right now I'm at the end of week 3.  I've done this before, but this will be my longest alcohol-free stretch.  It's always harder than I expect.  I think that's the case anytime you're voluntarily denying yourself something that's part of your regular routines.

Habits get ingrained pretty deeply, and a glass or two of vino after work & the weekend beer indulgence is probably a good habit to churn up and clear on out every once in a while.  Can't hurt, right?  Plus, the tendency to over-booze is a bit of a family trait.  I need to remind that stubborn little booze-hound that lives inside of me who's in charge here.  He's an ornery little hellion.  And hey, I bet I'll shed a few pounds while I'm at it.  Win-win.

And on top of that, I've started juicing.  I know, I know...what in the hell is going on up in Alaska?  Next thing you know, I'll be following the Phish tour around the country with a tent and some Sandalwood incense.

♪ ♫ "Your hands and feet are mangoes...You're gonna be a genius anyway..."  ♪ ♫

(You either get it or you don't)

Just trying to healthy it up a little more.  What I've done is replace my morning snack with a green smoothie, and holy hell do I feel GREAT.  I ordered a Nutri-Bullet and a few juicing/green smoothie recipe books from Amazon a few weeks ago and I've been at it ever since.  Technically, it's not really juicing because I'm blending the fruits and greens altogether, not extracting the juice from the fruits while leaving the solids behind.  So...I'm smoothie-ing?  Either way, I'm digging it.

Sunday morning  banana, mango, strawberry, rainbow
chard concoction. - Looks wacky, but tastes great

I've been rotating through all different combinations using kale, swiss chard, spinach, and banana, strawberry, blueberry, mango, pear, orange, etc.  I also add in a little plain Greek yogurt, flax seed, skim milk or water, and sometimes another nut or seed like sunflower, walnut, or almond if the flavors go together.  The combinations are endless, and they're pretty damn tasty. You can't even taste the greens, the flavors are completely dominated by whatever fruits are added. 

I'm tip toeing in starting with fruit, and maybe eventually I'll evolve into the more hard core smoothies.  Some of the recipes are a little much for a newbie.  I'm pretty sure I'll need to work up to drinking potatoes or beets.  Actually, I don't think I'll go that far.  I'll stick with fruit and greens combinations!

Voluntary departure from alcohol and green smoothies...I have to wonder what I'll be up to at blog-a-versary number two.

Ta-ta for now.


Photo Credit:  By Dzenanz (Own Work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons