A Little Work From the Bus

While talking about our bus plans prior to buying our bus, people had asked us about what we planned to do for a living while we were on the road since neither of us really had jobs that allowed for working remotely when we started Book Two. I worked for a Farm/Nursery and Andy was an auto shop teacher, after 20+ years as an auto tech. Though, honestly, that's likely what made quitting our jobs and not looking back feel so easy.

On a side note, sometimes I like to refer to our lives as a trilogy, so try not to be too confused if I reference things by book number.

To make a long winding road into a bit of a shortcut, we made a friend while we were in Oklahoma and were offered an opportunity to work in Colorado for the summer. Without going into the details, we took the job and are now in Colorado, up in the mountains, just barely acclimated, working our butts off for ourselves.

It feels good.

To be on my time, for me, benefitting me and my family, our livelihood; rather than making someone else's livelihood while I struggle to make mine with the less than living wage I'm given as pay in return for busting my ass 40+ hours a week.

It hurts.

It is a reminder that I haven't used my body for manual labor in quite a while. My shoulders are sore, the backs of my legs feel like concrete, my arms are dead. Stretching hurts sooooo good.

I've missed it.

The ache that goes along with swinging a pickaxe or shoveling gravel.

The slight structure I've found myself missing, coming back into view. Coffee in the morning with a couple of hours to myself, because I wake up in the dark hours of the morning.

Lunch breaks, decided by how ready I am to stop, or when the weather might turn around, or if I am even hungry.

There is a learning curve to be had, though.

Trying to find the balance between my wanting to start at 8:30 A.M. and Andy's want to start at 10:00 A.M. Getting Connor to understand the importance of the idea that when we are working, I am his boss first and his mom second. And that he is not going to be paid for an hour-long bathroom break. Andy, in needing to understand that if he says to me "Your name is on it, you're the boss" then I am going to take him seriously and he'd better be prepared for the reality of it.

I have confidence that the learning will be done. I have noticed my own perspective shifting lately on what is important and what is not, and I have faith that Andy and Connor will as well, sooner or later...hopefully sooner. I am also realizing that I don't need to spend my mornings waiting for them to begin working. I can go out and work on my own, because I know what needs to be done. I don't need someone to tell me what to do, because I am the one doing the telling.
It's getting easier to remember that with every day.

Of course, I also have confidence in what I am doing in Book Two, because of some of the remarkable women who came into my life, and their teachings and patience and love. Showing me what I was capable of, teaching me things about myself that I had lost, or never found to begin with, loving me through it all and beyond, even through the distance.

I think that's enough for this morning. Thanks for sticking around this long.

Meanwhile, I have a dishwasher to load and dinner to figure out. Maybe a white bean chili that can sit on the stove today…after all, it is snowing out again…

Gotta love the mountains!