Nataly

In what ways? (If you don't mind my asking.) "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

Face it: we're WINNING!!! "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

Maybe on some level you found it a bit of a turn off that he didn't react so well to the skydiving.. He could drop by after the sunset load and then you could hang out. No chance of anyone going splat from anything much higher than a barstool!!! "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

Maybe invite him to the DZ just to hang out a bit.. As long as he understands that you're also going to be jumping.. Maybe he could bring you a sammich!!! "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

Bleurk - I can't stand rum!! Even the smell of it.. Hot cocoa with marshmallows, on the other hand.. Mmmmmmm!!! It's not so complicated.. It's something I've dreamed of for years and now I am actually in a position where I can do it.

Now will you please assure all the nice people that I have not sent you any package pics? Ryoder never sent me any pics - or requests

Check out the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails in the US. Each is over 2000 miles long, and lots of people take 4-6 months off of life to thru-hike them. It's backpacking in the more extreme American way - carrying everything you need on your back and sleeping in sleeping bags instead of beds. Trail life and culture are awesome; some very interesting people choose to do very long distance hikes. You can read journals/blogs from some of them on trailjournals.com As for the stuff - why not hire a property management firm and rent the house out furnished, with the rest of your stuff packed away in a locked closet? Yes, you risk having your stuff damaged but you'd be getting paid. Ohh, that's an idea.. The house is a bit complicated. I don't live there anymore, and a lodger is covering my half of the mortgage. Sadly I still have a 100% legal obligation toward the mortgage it if this arrangement ever goes tits up. Unfortunately, it's impossible to cut my financial/legal ties to this place until it can be sold or I can be bought out, but I would like to get rid of pretty much everything else. "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

aaaaand....what would it do if you did...? SHAME on you for saying that.. You clearly have never heard of... "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

You will now!!! No after all the bitchin about requests to see your yoo-hoos, are you really going to bother her with a request?!? I can't dictate what someone else does or doesn't want to receive as a PM.. Just be careful what you ask for is what I'm learning from this whole experience! "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

You will now!!! "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

I would definitely.. Unless of course.. But then it would obviously cause.. "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

That is an extremely unattractive thing to think and say. The truth sucks though. "YOU WANT THE TRUTH??? SUNDEVIL777 CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!!!" MWAA HA HAAAA!!! I just laughed out loud!!! Trust Ryoder to come up with a great line like that - dude you always make me laugh! Thanks

Yeah - a couple of other girls PM'd me about the same guy after reading this thread. Hopefully the message is out there now

Wow. No one has been so mean as to actually say "for Christ's sake stop talking about your ex-SO already". I'm sorry if my heartbreak is so annoying to you, but I am trying to move forward. I think you missed the point entirely. This has nothing to do with any agendas.. I said I *could* leave stuff at the house I still own if I wanted to leave only temporarily, but that's not what I'm looking for anyway. I fail to see how getting *rid* of all my wordly goods and traveling equates to me having an agenda about my ex?? I want to *do* something that will be some kind of physical/spiritual journey... I don't have a hidden agenda about career opportunities in Europe, but I will need to make money somehow, and that's so much easier with a UK passport. I speak 3 languages, btw - English is my second. Sheesh! "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

That is an extremely unattractive thing to think and say. Look. It was a playful comment. Meant to lighten things up a little. So lighten up a little, ok

That sounds like it would be cool My ex and I were talking about dropping everything for an adventure for *years*, but whenever I was ready for it it was bad timing for him and vice versa. I've been thinking about it a lot the past couple of months.. Ever since I heard about The Best Job In The World back in January (my entry never got uploaded on time because the computer kept crashing ).. Anyway, it's early days.. I will only have my passport in 8 or 9 months.. But it's nice to know I actually *can* do it. "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

I just mean that I don't want to wander around aimlessly. I did that when I was younger and I really didn't enjoy it. I take satisfaction out of *doing* stuff like hiking or cycling - I don't do that when all of my time is at the office or studying.. I don't want to "find myself".. But I want the journey to mean something to *me*. So backpacking isn't gonna be it, unless there's some kind of purpose or theme or goal involved. I used to be in wicked physical shape and all that activity isn't possible in an office job. Period. I want to do something different, that will incorporate a physical element to it. My whole lifestyle changed when I took an office job and I hate it. I need a big change in my life so I can learn to re-appreciate how good it is. I've slowly but surely moved more and more *away* from what makes me happy and I need to get back to it. "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

I haven't figured that out yet. More importantly, I want to *do* something. But I don't know what yet either I just know I hate everything about my life right now and have no real reason to stay, so I want to turn things around and feel like life is worth *living*. And I want to *live* it. I don't really want to go back-packing or sight-seeing. I'm more inclined to do something like climb a mountain or cross the desert or any kind of thing that is physically challenging & will take me on a spiritual/emotional journey. I want to clear my head a little. Right now I feel like I'm just running to stay *on* the treadmill.. There's nothing satisfying about my life. "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

Yeah.. We'll see if I grow a spine and actually do it!!! I think if I had a SO or kids or family to look after it would be a totally different story. My partner dumped me last summer and every penny I've ever earned or saved was lost in the house we bought together.. I moved away from my family a long time ago anyway.. My friends are always contactable via email.. With all that's happened in my life, I just realised a couple of months ago that actually I don't really have anything holding me back except fear.. Even if I changed my mind after just a couple of months it wouldn't be a disaster.. "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

In a few months I'll be eligible for my UK passport, so it'll be a lot easier to be able to work in Europe. To me, a year isn't really what I'm looking for.. I personally would find it pretty easy to take a "break" from my life.. I could leave my stuff with my ex or some friends, and I'm reasonably confident that I'd have a job to come back to.. The problem is I don't want to come back. So it seems kinda pointless to keep all my stuff. I'm just scared this time around.. I will do it - I just need to figure out a way to make it happen.. "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

Good! Then bring me a sammich and a beer then you can get back to doing the dishes. Me bring you a sammich??! Fat chance!! I make *much* nicer food than that... I have to say.. With my cooking skills, I think *you* should bring me a beer and do the dishes.. "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

I have nowhere to put my stuff & couldn't afford to put it into storage. Plus I like the *idea* of de-cluttering my life and giving everything up, but I'm really not sure I can walk away from all the security I have.. One thing that's holding me back is I feel I need to be realistic about the house.. Because of the current economy it's impossible for me to offload this responsibility. But I'm surprised that aside from this point I've become so attached to stuff I didn't even own just a few years ago. "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

In February 2005, I quit my career, sold my car, packed two suitcases, donated everything else I owned (including my teddy-bear collection!) and left Canada to go live in England. If you had asked me then, I probably would have been prepared to travel with not a dime to my name and without my two suitcases - I was young and had nothing to lose. I've been thinking of doing the same thing again, but this time around I'm really struggling with the idea of giving up my income, my furniture, my computer, my books, my souvenirs, et cetera.. And I'm just wondering what's so different now that I just have more *stuff*? (Oh, and a mortgage.. ) Would you do it? Chuck it all in and start a totally new life? "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

You live in a year-round warm climate. Get out there and run a couple times a week. That's 90% of how I keep too much weight off - only about 10% of it is my diet choices. I don't know what the stats are, but I think genes/metabolism must be the number one factor of where your weight range lies.. Followed by lifestyle, which includes many things other than just the food you eat. Again, not attacking this from a scientific point of view, but I reckon stress is probably worse for your health than junk food. That being said, your lifestyle/attitude is all you can adjust to affect your weight unless you're prepared to go the plastic surgery route. Conclusion: a combination of unlimited funds, lots of work, and no stress should solve everything!!! "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

EWWWWW!!! "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss