We were thrown a bit of a curveball this past week, but we will start with the positive!
We started our new jobs in Tacoma on Feb 8th. Although we had some long days we really like the facility and we also enjoy working together! But most of all we like having 3 days off. We work Friday – Monday for 10 hour days and then have off Tuesday – Thursday.
Our first work weekend was of course the weekend of the Pacific Northwest Snowpocalypse. Thanks to my Subaru and our snow confidence we made it to work just fine. The locals explained to us that not only is snow a big deal here because they don’t get it often, but they also don’t treat roads the same way as on the east coast. The few plows they do have focus only on the main roads, so the driving on our little side street was like off-roading. Also they don’t salt the roads because the drain water goes to the Puget Sound. Salt and chemicals in the Sound greatly affects the wildlife which is already in danger due to the large population of people around.
We decided to let Patrick’s car stay put for the storm. After day 3 of snow it was hard to see it! Luckily the warm weather that came after melted it all and we didn’t have to do any uncovering.
After we had a recovery day from work we took a trip to Crystal Mountain Resort. The mountain got 33 inches of snow in 2 days! Although the mountain wasn’t fully open the conditions were amazing and we had a great day. I worked on my ski skills… still a lot to learn. And Patrick hit the fresh powder hard. It’s safe to say we will be back for some more mountain fun.
Now for the bad news…
We found out the day after we finished our first work week that Patrick’s contract is being cancelled. Unfortunately this is something that is fairly common for travelers as companies find full-time employees or have a change in needs. Luckily our contracts have a 30 day notice policy, so we will have that time to earn some money and figure out what is next. Due to our odd work schedule it would be difficult for Patrick to find a new position in the area that matches my hours. Ultimately we know it will all work out, but this change has a been majorly anxiety inducing.
As we think about what to do next we have noticed some good things. Travel therapy is full of unknowns which was nerve wracking to us. We both are traditionally planners… maybe overplanners, which leads to us feeling more comfortable knowing what’s coming. Travel therapy has pushed us out of this comfort zone in the best possible way. We noticed when dealing with our latest bad news that we handled it better and are able to more easily work towards what’s next. We are also much more comfortable figuring out what comes next knowing that we are embracing our dreams to travel. All those quotes about growth and getting outside of your comfort zone are right!
All will be well, enjoy yourselves!