Panic Attacks and the Road Trip to Colorado

Roadside Cemetery - Imagine the stories

Juxtapositions again

Lake Superior beauty

Mack and I enjoying the solitude at Lake Superior

From Munising we started our journey AND a new day traveling along Lake Superior. I'd label this leg of our trip as scenic solitude...there were a few travelers and most seemed to be older, perhaps retired, and truly enjoying the journey as were Mack and I.

If you haven't traveled by yourself and/or with a canine companion, I'd highly recommend the adventure. There is a tremendous amount of time to think, plan, consider, and map out not only your journey, but the remainder of your life, if you wish. There were times that I felt more alone than I would normally like, but much of the time was spent quietly contemplating the beauty of my home country. Every scene produced either a photograph or a possibility for a painting, or both.

Purposefully NOT listening to the news OR even the weather for the entire drive was relaxing and left a lot of time for introspection. And although I checked in nightly to ensure my family knew my location and that we were safe and uploaded pics to Facebook so they could follow our progress, the news, politics or weather was not on our agenda. I had time to think about where I have been (both literally and figuratively) and where I am going.

This also allowed time for old demons to visit..and that they did. Panic attack prone when feeling alone, there were a couple of times (no actually several times) that I had to remind myself to breathe deeply and enjoy the moment. My favorite side-roads/trips were quiet, traffic free, full of potential paintings and photographs, but also a little nerve racking as I fought the panic down.

And I won...no panicking and a camera and mind full of ideas for future projects and paintings.

Stay tuned for the next leg of our journey!

Road Trip_September 2015

Mackinaw Bridge

Well, I fully intended to blog daily on my road trip...even made sure I had either internet access or phone contact through-out the journey, but alas...this went the way of many of my good intentions...on the back burner.

Mack and our sleeping arrangements for a couple of nights

And here I am, home after a couple of weeks on the road and trying to remember what I was thinking, seeing,  and doing, to tell the story.

Day 1 was spent traversing the Michigan landscape. Mack and I left later in the am and drove up and across the bridge and finally stopped to sleep at a campground in Munising in the U.P.  I contemplated getting a hotel room, but decided we had gone to all the work of getting an air mattress, covers, Mackblankets and window coverings that we should definitely use them and we did. And I slept like a dog (so did Mack, but then he always does.)

This day reminds me why I chose Michigan to live...lush greenery, beautiful blue water, and manageable traffic. The campground felt safe and secluded. And I'm really glad I have this state as my home base. I'll share more tomorrow as we head out of Michigan and into Wisconsin and beyond.

On the road again...

Oregon coastline from one of last year's road trips

Well almost...getting ready for a road trip! The most exciting of times...it's just a short trip (to see my sis in Colorado) but for someone who LOVES all road trips, it will be an adventure.

Just getting ready is an adventure...you see I'm a little neurotic and overthink most everything that's thinkable...and getting ready for this trip is no exception. I started overthinking my ability to take road trips after I retire a while back and it resulted in a couple of good things...

First...I've bought a hybrid to help me conserve fuel and dollars. Secondly, I've upped my membership in AAA to help handle any unforseen car difficulties on the road as well as better map where I am going, staying and eating. Finally, I've made sure my cell phone has the best coverage and can serve as a hotspot to help me keep in touch, work and play, no matter where I am. And of course, the neurosis in me had to double insure accessibility and information, so I extended my free contract (from car dealership) for Sirius' travel option. :)

Almost ready to go now...still debating with myself whether or not to buy an air mattress for the back of my wagon, how far north I want to go before I turn south, which dog I'm going to take for company and protection in the wilds, should I bring my watercolors or my pastels or both, oh my goodness...the list goes on and on.

I'll keep you posted.

66 and counting...Slater by Design's view on retirement and beyond

After fifteen years teaching graphic design at a community college, I've decided to retire and move on. It has been the best fifteen years of my career life thus far, but hopefully not the last best.

Coming to public education as a late career is perhaps the reason it was never boring, only sometimes frustrating but ALWAYS invigorating. It was a difficult decision to move on...leaving something you love is never easy, but as I've said previously...when it's time, it's time. In retrospect, what I loved about this particular career should lead me into a direction for my next...right? So what was it that was so satisfying in an environment that professionals are leaving by droves?

Teaching at a community college ticked off a couple of my major 'wants' list in a career...

First and foremost, was the ability to interact with a diverse group of people and have an impact on who they were and where they were going in their careers. I absolutely never tired of these students. There were some who made me wonder about my ability to teach anything, there were others who made me feel like superwoman and that I could teach everything, and there were still others that will be friends for life...and made me feel both!

Secondly was the ability to control my own environment (within reason) and schedule. Although our community college may be unique in this respect, there was NO micro-management of the details surrounding our disciplines (our at least not graphic design.) Working with the previous full-time instructor and mentor for the first year, I was allowed to develop the design curriculum, write the syllabi, teach the classes, hire the adjuncts, work within a specified budget, and take responsibility for the growth or decline of the program. I'm happy to say that it grew and is still has great potential for more growth under the new instructor.

Finally, this career allowed me (no, in fact forced me) to stay relevant in a quickly changing, technology driven career.

The only thing I would add to my next career...well actually a couple of things...I would like to get rich :) and travel. Yes, I know, I know...all the platitudes about what money can and can't buy...a more pragmatic me knows that I already have the richest of riches...kids, grandkids, dogs, good health, home and security...the dreamer in me still wants to buy an island in the Gulf and hang my personally created masterpieces in major art museums all over the world.

I'll keep you posted on my progress...

Retirement Time...

Checking my bank account statement today and realized...wow...this is first time in years and years (Fifteen years in this career although I've had careers and jobs and steady pay since I was 17 years old) I haven't received a check every two weeks from MCC for teaching. Now that comes as a little bit of a shock. I've expected it, planned for it, saved for it, but really not ready for it. I wonder if every retiree goes through this no payday shock.

And not only, no payday...but a certain loss of identity. As I sit here listening to my gkids who I love dearly, playing, I think, this is the great part about retirement. But do I really want  this every day? Or even every week? No, I don't...I'm not that kind of gma, unfortunately, and I feel just a little guilty about that too.

So what's my plan as I move into this next phase of my life? Married now, with three dogs and a husband that's not retired yet, what's my next step? I've worked at stepping up my freelance business the last few months, have taken on a small social media management assignment, working on a couple of websites and working to broaden my own reach in social media.

Planning on a small trip to see my sister...planning stepping up my skills in watercolor and pastel...looking at grants for new businesses run by old people :) and taking a class or two in a new area I haven't attempted.

I'll keep you posted :) I will blog more frequently too!

Saying Goodbye...

No not the dogs, silly! The Smart car...and it was a little bit of a sad day. I said goodbye to the Smart and sent her in as a trade-in for a Ford CMax Sel...a hybrid wagon. I love the wagon and it has plenty of room from my dogs, grandkids and gets 45/37 mpg! WhooHoo! Road trips here we come!

Secondly, I'm leaving a career I've loved (teaching college graphic design) to get back into the fray of freelancing. Exciting, just a little scary, but so looking forward to working in the real world. Not that academia isn't real...but for me...it was time to move on and hereeeeee I go!

AND I said good-bye to meat and dairy! I would have NEVER thought I'd become a vegan...I always loved meat, cheese and all the fixings but felt I needed to make a major change in my diet for my health. Now, 15 pounds lighter, lowered blood pressure without meds, and fitting into a size 5 again, life is good :)

Can't wait to see what the rest of the year holds...it's been a great start.

Graphic Design Program at Muskegon Community College

http://youtu.be/IlXvep6c1I0

Click on link to see an overview of our Graphic Design Program. The photos are from our portfolio class, GRD 200, Winter_2014.