Monday, December 30, 2013

T-minus 36 hours and counting...

Monday morning
December 30, 2013
6:29am
I am still awake!  Haven't slept a wink.  I JUST finished all of my accounting and bookkeeping for 2012 in Quickbooks.  I couldn’t bear to leave without having a full and clear picture of my financial situation, and I also want to be able to get my tax info to my accountant with as little hassle as possible: I will have enough to worry myself with overseas.  Now I am ALL DONE.  I just need to wait for my W2’s from Legal Aid Society and my book royalty statements, and W2s from the Army. 

I’m actually in better financial shape than I thought.  I managed to save up a lot of money these last two years thanks to my brilliant idea of moving back home with mom and dad.  Many people look down on my for moving back home, but in the back of my mind, I knew that it would only be temporarily, and if I had to pay rent, I would have no savings.  Instead, I have a nice travel purse.  Sure, it’s often been a pain living with mom, cause she can be difficult at times (isn’t every mother difficult at times?), but clearly it was and has been worth it: I can afford to go on a three-month sojourn through Europe before starting my paid teaching job in China.  Awesomeness.

Now, I need to make sure that I have $2000 set aside that I don’t touch.  I need $2000 when I arrive in China so I can pay my first and last months’ rent, plus security, and get a phone.  And I need money for food too during that first month.  I only get paid once a month, and since I start work on the 17th of March, I won’t get my first paycheck until April.  So if I don’t save at least $2000 on the side, I’m in big trouble upon arriving in Shanghai.  And I’m stoked: even with $2000 put aside, I will still have enough to cover my food and travel costs in France and Europe.  If I go over, I have a few credit cards I can use.  My Discover balance is $3000 now though.  And I owe $650 on Capital One.  So I’m already going into the trip a LITTLE in debt, but the good news is that I probably won’t have to go any MORE in debt.  And starting in April, I can start paying off the cards, and rebuilding my savings accounts.  Though when I get a couple more coaching clients (www.EnoughExcusesAlready.com), I will be able to start paying off the credit cards even before I arrive in China.

Truly, whenever I finish my bookkeeping, I always feel SO great.  I say this over and over, but it’s SO nice to know how much money I DON’T have, haha!  But seriously, it’s a wonderful feeling to be on top of your finances.  And there’s a zenlike effect that the bookkeeping itself has on me.  I listen to Pandora (usually the Aly & AJ station, or an Avril Lavigne station, or some Pachelbel) and I transfer all the numbers from all of my bank and credit card statements, and voila, eventually out come the P&L Statements, the Balance sheets, etc.  See: the MBA in Finance sure comes in handy.  :)

Wow, just one more day.  Just one more day.  Just one more day.

I admit that I was thinking about my ex a bit today, and I do miss her, but the truth is: I’m moving on.  Moving Forward!  Doing this trip/move/adventure was the best decision I could have made, and I’m ready to put her into my past.  Ahhhh…

In fact, I have to admit that in many ways, her breaking up with me has turned out to be a blessing:

a)
I would never have started taking hiphop and house and dancehall classes at Broadway Dance Center had she not broken up with me.  And now, I'm a pretty good dancer!  The other day I was dancing in Grand Central, on the main concourse, listening to 'Brave' by Sara Bareilles, and 'Pompeii' by Bastille, 'Accidentally in Love' by Counting Crows, and 'Everything's Gonna Be Alright' by Naughty by Nature.  And I was hip hop dancing up a storm, and people were gathering around and clapping.  These two cute British chicks asked if they could dance with me while their friends took photos.  I can't WAIT to find a dance school in France, and certainly in Shanghai!

b) I would never have probably gone on this trip in the first place if she hadn't left me.  And this trip is like manna from heaven.  I think it's going to be life changing and positively fantastic on so many levels.  Yippee!
c) Finally, I would never have started studying languages so intently otherwise.  I started learning German once she left in hopes of impressing her should she ever take me back.  It didn't work, but I got hooked, and the study of German blossomed into the study of 20 other languages as well.  And I am BLOWN AWAY with the capacity of the human brain.  I never in a million years would have believed that it would be possible to actually study 20+ languages simultaneously, actually make progress in each, and not get totally confused unless... I were actually doing it, living it, and seeing it happen right before my very eyes. 

So, as is always the case, every terrible trauma has a silver lining.  Just took my 18+ months to see it.  But I'm smiling now.  Moving on to the next adventurous phase of my life.  And excited beyond measure to see what the next few weeks, months, and years have in store! 

Thanks for keeping up with my adventures!  HOOAH!

Oh, and if you'd like a free 15-minute career, business, or life consultation with me to see if my coaching services may be able to help you kick some major butt in 2014... let me know.  Visit www.EnoughExcusesAlready.com for my contact info.  I'd love to chat with you further.

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