Obligatory 2017 New Years Resolution Post

I love New Year's Resolutions. I'm a list-making, goal-driven type of person. New Years is a traditional time to reset those goals, although I always pick dates throughout the year to reevaluate and begin new resolutions. I just like the resolution momentum that New Years always brings. If I don't stick to all of my resolutions ( I don't, who does?), I'm okay with focusing on what I did manage to accomplish. I'm a glass half-full type of person.

Let's see how I did with my 2016 resolutions, that I publicly declared on this blog. 

1. Finish UCLA Extension Fiction Writing Program - I finished the program last winter, a year ahead of schedule, with more classes completed than needed, and I finished with honors. Yeah, I'm proud of this!

2. Finish the 1st Draft and 1st complete revision of my novel.- Still working on this. The progress is slower than I would have liked.

3. Attend two or more writer's conferences - I attended one, the AWP Conference in Los Angeles. It was amazing. I left feeling inspired and rejuvenated. 

4. Start or join a writer's group- I joined an online writing group in early fall. 

5. Submit my work to a minimum of fifteen publications/contests- This was a complete fail. I didn't enter a single contest or send my work out anywhere.

6. Create/stick to, a regular writing schedule-find my optimum writing time- I've not yet figured this out. 

7. Read a minimum of 60 Books - I read sixty-eight books. I also stepped up my literary journal reading, which is not counted in this goal.

8. Travel to a new state or country - I went to Alaska! And although I had already been to Washington State, this year I visited Seattle for the first time. It's a major city, so I thought it was worth a mention. I also moved to a new state and I am exploring Oregon. 

9. Keep a food/exercise journal- exception is the family vacation - I stopped and started this many times. I was still working out with my personal trainer for the first quarter of 2016, but when that stopped, I got derailed. My diet/weight is currently worse that it has ever been, and needs to be fixed.

10. Starting January 4th- cut sugar, alcohol, fried food from diet- except on vacation or very special occasions ( Days ending in Y are not always special), but continue after vacations - See number nine. 

11. Scan and Organize 1/4 of family photos.- This has been a resolution for years and it's still not done. My pictures are all stored in boxes in California, so this is not a goal that I can easily make happen in 2017.

12. Organize and maintain paperwork/filing cabinet.- This was organized until we moved. and now it's in bags all over our new apartment. I need to organize our office in Portland.

So I did okay, especially considering all of the upheaval that 2016 rained down on my life. It was an exceptionally chaotic year. I hope 2017 will be more stable, and to that end, here are my resolutions.

2017 RESOLUTIONS

1. Finish my manuscript by the end of winter.

2. After receiving my manuscript notes from a UCLA Extension faculty member, use the notes to revise and polish my novel. Send my novel to potential agents.

3. Finally figure out a sensible and effective writing schedule, which includes becoming more involved in my online writing group- submitting more, rather than just critiquing. 

4. Submitting short stories and poems to contests/ journals. I'm not going to give myself a quota like last year, but I need to put myself out there.

5. Read a Minimum of 70 books

6. Cut out soda- This was a resolution that I stuck to for many years, but have slipped back into old habits this past year. Not that I drink a lot of soda, but still getting rid of empty, unhealthy calories.

7. When not traveling, use apartment gym a minimum of three days a week. I hate exercising, but need to get back into the routine. I had an amazing exercise routine for nearly two years and I felt, looked fabulous. I need that back.

8. Maintain a food diary and eat a minimum of five servings of fruits and veggies a day. This is for awareness, which will hopefully turn into healthy habits, something that's worked like a charm in the past.

9. Learn to enjoy living in Downtown Portland- get out of the apartment weekly to take advantage of what the city has to offer. Be present and active in our current living situation. 

10. Travel to a new state or country ( or major city)

11. Grow Travel Agency, by focusing on training, social media and the Easy as Pie Travel blog. I'm proud of what I've built so far and I've booked vacations for several clients, however, I want to be bigger.

12. Grow the Always Packed for Adventure blog. Truly, this blog and it's readership has exceeded my expectations, but that makes me think that I can do even better. A big Thank You to all of my consistent readers. I love hearing your comments and reading emails. I've met many wonderful people through this blog. 

That seems like enough to focus on for 2017. I'm hoping for a calm, peaceful 2017, where I can really focus on creating healthy habits and a routine that helps achieve goals. Also, just because I like to have those specific dates, these are to begin not on January 1st, but when we return from England on January 3rd. I'm filling up on Cadbury chocolate before I start those healthy eating goals!

Happy 2017 Everyone!

2016 Wrap-up

It's that time again, to look back and take stock of all that has happened in the year. I know that 2016 has been rough for a lot of people, with the crazy election and such, but this has personally been an exceptionally hard year for the Germain family. It's been a year of major life changes, definitely one of the most transformative years of my life.

The year started in an amazing way, Dan and I drank champagne and watched fireworks from our hotel in Orlando during our eight day vacation. Most of our vacations include family, so it was special to have a romantic getaway. The weather was sunny and perfect. Plus, we purchased Disney World annual passes, so that we could have a cost-effective way to return to Orlando with the kids in the summer. We had to test-out the rides first, right?

In January, we learned that Dan's division at work was being dissolved at the end of April. The bad part was the stress and worry that comes with losing a job. However, we had several months to prepare, and he was given an excellent severance package. The unknown is always scary and I'll admit that the first half of the year was bumpy, but ultimately, this loss sent us on a new and better path.

I spent the winter finishing my UCLA Extension Fiction Writing Certificate Program, which I completed a year ahead of schedule and with honors. I'm now finishing my manuscript, which is due at the end of this winter for an instructor review, an incredibly perk for completing the certificate program. The pressure is officially on.

In April, we spent two weeks at the MGM Grand Signature Hotel in Las Vegas, so that Dan could run his final trade show for his former company. We even drove all of the equipment out to the show, which involved hanging out with truckers, and seeing the "behind the scenes" action at the convention center. While Dan was working, I was busy in our hotel room, setting up our new home-based travel agency, Easy as Pie Travel, LLC.. Of course, I also took daily trips down to the pool for some sun bathing and relaxation. Working in Vegas is tough.

In May, we realized that running two houses was draining resources rapidly, and that the best course of action would be to sell my childhood home in Glendale. This was HUGE for me. It was not an easily made decision. We began the process of moving our stuff up to our Big Bear Lake house, which was still ( and is still), under construction. Our hope was to have it finished for Zoe and Felix's summer visit, and although it was livable, it was not completely done, which was a huge disappointment. We moved most of the stuff ourselves, renting small Uhaul trucks and slowly taking up all of our belongings over several trips. I will always use a moving company for future moves. Lesson learned.

Exhausted and needing a vacation, we used my travel agency discounts, and booked a last minute Alaskan Cruise on Holland America's MS Amsterdam. It departed from Seattle, which was a city I had never visited. We spent a day and half exploring before our cruise, visiting the Space Needle, Pikes Place Market, and the Chihuly Gallery. The cruise was amazing, something that everyone should have on their bucket list. We saw the Hubbard Glacier up-close ( the sounds of cracking ice were unbelievable), we flew in a seaplane, saw wild Bald Eagles soaring, and went dog sledding. We also visited the Canadian island of Victoria, BC. Everyone should see Alaska, it was gorgeous.

Our cruise was extremely sad and unforgettable for another reason; when we arrived in our first port of Juneau, we learned that Dan's father, Dave, had cancer and his time was short. We were told not to abandon our cruise, but we spent the entire trip worrying. It was impossible to not worry or feel sad.

The day after we returned home from Alaska, we were on a flight to England. I'm grateful that we were able to speak with Dave when he was still coherent, and to be with him at the hospital when he passed. I'm also extremely grateful for the years and vacations that I was able to spend getting to know my father-in-law. I never really knew my own dad, so this made my relationship with Dave even more meaningful. I met him shortly after Dan and I started dating, and I had a crash-course in getting to know my future father-in-law, when I spent an entire day with him alone at Disneyland. We had so much fun. I will always remember his kindness, his great advice, and his sense of adventure. He had the best stories and was an excellent "grump." We spent a few weeks in England, spending time with family and helping make arrangements. Although our reason for the trip was terrible, we were able to enjoy the family time. We finally got to see my brother-in-law play in his band Beatlejuice (Beatles covers, they're really good!) and we visited the Bombay Sapphire Gin Factory with friends. 

This sudden trip to England, sent our lives on a new path. It meant that Dan had to postpone a job interview, but while in England, Steve (my brother-in-law), gave Dan a lead on a position with Amazon, based out of Portland. When we returned home, he followed up, and soon was flown to Oregon for an interview. As you probably already know, he got the job, and our lives were about to be kicked into overdrive.

We had already booked our summer holiday with the kids, so Dan agreed to start work a few days after their vacation ended, at the end of August. We had to clear out the Glendale house and prep it to be sold, find a place to live in Portland ( which we did entirely online), and we had to get Big Bear ready for the kids. Our plate was overflowing.

In mid-July, Dan flew to Sweden to pick up Zoe and Felix. This was the first time we were spending our summer vacation with them in America, and we had them for an entire month. We spent a few days in Los Angeles and then nearly a week in Big Bear. The big surprise, was we took them to Orlando for two weeks to experience Disney World and Kennedy Space Center. It was cheaper to fly out of Las Vegas ( That's my travel agent expertise saving us money), so we spent two nights at the Luxor on either end of the trip. Yes, we were "Those people", who take kids to Vegas, but really it was the perfect place for a family vacation. We were easily able to avoid anything inappropriate. We rented a cabana at the Luxor and used the pool all day. In the evenings, we saw shows ( Beatles Love and The Blue Man Group), plus we introduced the kids to our favorite Vegas spot, The Pinball Hall of Fame. It was an amazing summer holiday. I have no idea how we will top it in 2017.

We packed a few suitcases and took the last flight to Portland on the evening of August 20th. The next morning, we picked up the keys to our downtown apartment, which we had picked sight unseen. It's worked out, but I don't recommend it. We've spent the last few months having "renters-remorse", as we see all of the other buildings that we could have picked. It's not terrible though, we are right across from the Portland Art Museum, and near all of the major theaters. It was easier to buy new furniture and house goods, so a majority of our things are still in our Big Bear house. The cats were surprisingly okay with the fifteen hour drive, that we made in early September. They were heavily drugged.

This fall has been a blur of getting settled into our new Portland life. Dan is incredibly busy with his new job and I continue to work on my manuscript. The weather is cold and grey, but we have purchased a S.A.D. Lamp ( it works) and I'm loving my new cold weather wardrobe. My ear muffs are so cute, that I even wear them around our apartment. We sold our Glendale house in November, a move made easier because a close friend was our realtor, and the couple that purchased my house, seemed really nice. Plus, they have a cat named Penny, which is probably the biggest sign that the universe has ever sent to me. I know my mom is smiling.

A few other non-travel related highlights: I went to two concerts, Josh Ritter at the Fonda, and the anniversary tour of Jenny Lewis and The Watson Twin's Rabbit Fur Coat album, which was at an gorgeous cathedral in Los Angeles. With the setting and the music, it felt like a religious experience. We attended an awards gala honoring James Cameron, sitting at a table adjacent to Cameron, just a few feet away. Speaking of celebrities, I got to meet one of my favorite authors, Alexander McCall Smith at Powell's Books. I attended my first writer's conference; AWP in Los Angeles, where I packed in two days of non-stop panel discussions. At AWP, I met more authors, such as Cheryl Strayed and Bret Easton Ellis. AWP was one of my best weekends of the year. In Portland, I went to the Wordstock Literary Festival and saw, Karen Russell, Laurie Notaro, Richard Russo, and Carrie Brownstein. This very lit heavy year, ended with me having read sixty-eight books. 

2016 brought tremendous change. I'm hoping to spend 2017 slowing things down a bit, and focusing on getting to know our new city, building Easy as Pie Travel, and polishing my manuscript. But first, it's off to England for Christmas and New Years. Let's start the year off right, by spending it with family. 

805 East Acacia Avenue #F

Today, if everything goes according to plan with the close of escrow, my childhood home no longer belongs to me. I feel like the Pixar film, Upside Down, all of the emotions inside of me are competing. At the moment, sadness is winning. 

My house doesn't look like much, built in the mid-70's and only 952 square feet. My parents, Penny and Conrad Hansen, bought it as a starter home, moving in a month before I was born. It came with rust colored shag carpet, and the garage was painted bright pink; it had been used as playroom for the young daughters of the original owners. My grandpa and dad added a pantry in the garage, which surprisingly, none of the neighbors have copied. It added so much storage! My parents never intended on keeping it long-term, but after my father died in 1982, it was a perfect size for Mom and me, in a community where we felt safe.

Mom made some changes in the early eighties. Out went the shag and instead, we had plush, dark brown carpet. This of course, matched our very 80's heavy wood furniture. The house wasn't all brown, we painted the walls a Smurf blue. It was as tasteless as you are imagining. 

Some of the furniture changed, but every time Mom repainted, she kept the same shade of blue. Our home decor didn't dramatically change, until I officially moved-out in 2001. I wasn't gone more than a week, when Mom turned my childhood bedroom into a guest room. There was no turning back. and I was a bit crushed by her swift dismantling of my childhood. She also changed the carpet to a multicolored pastel berber, that matched the Smurf walls, and new couch. Again, it was as tasteless as you are imagining. 

Mom died in 2008, which coincided with the collapse of my first marriage. I dramatically renovated the townhouse, before moving back in as a newly single woman. It was both odd and comforting to be back in this house. The original dark wood kitchen, with its stained white counter tops, was gutted, and replaced with Cape Cod style white cabinets and a light green counter top. The cheap linoleum flooring was replaced with a creamy stone. It was lighter and brighter, I loved my new kitchen. I embraced learning to cook, something that my mom never loved. I replaced the berber with hardwood downstairs, and a plush beige carpet upstairs. Not a fan of ceiling fans, I replaced them with modern light fixtures. I also replaced the sliding closet doors with an folding style, and added crown molding to give polish to the house. Smurf blue paint was out, but I went in a direction that some people have called tasteless ( see a Hansen theme here?) - A majority of the house was painted a soft yellow, the guest bath- pale blue, upstairs bath-celery green, office/my childhood bedroom- coral, master bedroom - Lavender. All of the cheerful colors made me happy. 

In early 2012, I was considering renting out my house, and moving to Tustin to live with my aunt and uncle. I had emptied the entire house, when Dan, whom I was newly dating, and I decided that we wanted to live together in Glendale. Since it was empty, we made more renovations. First, my paint had to go. The painter we hired, referred to it as "An Easter Egg House" and even threw in a discount for mocking it. We painted with a neutral color called Sand Castle. It was nice, but honestly, a little boring! We put in a rubber coating on the garage floor. We gutted the upstairs bathroom, adding a new vanity with double sinks, new tile flooring, a new bathtub, and shower doors. We tiled all of the walls, with a pretty blue and silver stripe of small tiles going around the entire bathroom. It was modern and European in style. 

Over the last four years, we've had all of the windows done, we've upgraded all of the appliances, the house now has wood floor throughout, except for my old bedroom, which has new carpet. My favorite addition, was doing up our enormous patio with lots of beautiful cactus. The heat on the patio is so intense during most of the year, that through trial and error, it was discovered that only cactus thrive. I believe the only original things left in the house are the downstairs bathroom vanity/mirror/medicine cabinet, and the wood handrail on the stairs. I'm sure with the new owners, these will soon be gone. It would have been our next renovation.

Two giant trees used to flank the front of our townhouse, but they are long gone. Also gone, are most of the pets that lived here. Over the years, we had four cats (MeTwo, Spotless, Slinky, and Nicolette), a lop-eared rabbit ( Calico), a rat (Pumpkin), two parakeets (Cadbury and Jelly Bean), and a ton of unnamed fish. 

Thirty-nine and half years of mostly happy memories were made in this home. Mom always held Thanksgiving and Christmas at our little house, inviting "holiday orphans" for turkey and competitive games of Trivial Pursuit. As a kid, I had countless sleep-overs and pizza parties. We were the first family in the neighborhood to have "On TV", and my mom invited all of the neighborhood kids over to watch Star Wars and spill popcorn all over our living room. As a teenager, I threw a few parties that Mom never knew about, including a cringe-worthy Goth themed Spaghetti dinner.  

During the summer, when my mom was at work, and I was home alone ( about ten years old, this was sort-of okay in the 80's), we would get cardboard from my friend Luke's grandparents house and use it to create a slide down the stairs, sitting in another box and pushing off, crashing down. I don't know how we didn't break any bones or furniture!  We would make lemonade and other snacks, selling it to the other kids in the complex. We even put on a luncheon/variety show, which the neighborhood kids consistently called a rip-off, but always returned for more, forking over their allowance. Sometimes you have to embarrass yourself to turn a profit. I have fond memories of skating and bike riding in the driveway. We had an awesome pool, so many summers spent playing Marco Polo and doing cannonballs in the deep end. My last memory of the pool is going to be my step-kids playing in it this last August, which makes my heart feel warm. It feels like life coming full circle.

It was a really fantastic neighborhood to be a kid. I'm still incredibly close with many of my friends that I made in our complex. Although the neighborhood has changed, several of the neighbors that I've had my entire life still live in our complex. I think that's a testament to the community that we built. Our community was very diverse, with neighbors from so many different cultures. I honestly can't imagine how a community could be much more diverse than ours. This was such a gift to be raised around so much diversity. 

Besides thinking of all of the memories that were made in my home, I'm mostly mourning the sense of safety that I felt living at 805 East Acacia. Will anything else every truly feel like home? Although selling is the right decision for Dan and I, at this moment in our lives, I hope that it will still feel like we made the right decision in the future. The new buyers are a young couple who I immediately liked from the warm letter that they included with their offer. They just had the right vibe, and they included a picture of their cat. I just hope as they create a home, that I will find peace with my major life change. I confessed to a few people that selling my house feels a little like loosing my mom all over again. It's like a piece is missing. Hopefully time and new opportunities will ease this feeling. 

Unfortunately, most of my family pictures of the house are in storage, so here are just a few that I took on my last visit.

This is the view out of my front door.

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Here is the driveway, where we played. My garage is second from the left, with the cactus planters on the patio.

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My childhood bedroom. 

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The view from my bedroom. 

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Selling my house has been made easier with the help of several people.

First, my rockstar relator (who is also a close high school friend), Valerie Halsey at Berkshire Hathaway Real Estate. She was the best through every step of the process, including giving me excellent advice regarding getting the house ready and help picking a buyer. We had a lot of strong offers and I attribute this to her expertise with getting the house in shape to sell it. She knew exactly what we needed to do. Valerie had her work cut out for her, as me being in Portland, made it more challenging. Her husband, Brett, is a amazing photographer, who not only took accurate pictures for the listing, but captured unusual angles. He made our place look good! Speaking of looking good, one of the best decisions we made was to use Cort for professional staging. Jules Escalona at Cort Interiors is a master at staging, he made our place look better than we could have imagined it. He was worth every penny. 

It's time to pack up the memories, close a significant chapter of my life, and focus on building a new community here in Portland or wherever else the future might take us.