​Weathering the Storm with the WP#119

It is amazing to think that my time in New England is done, at least until October or when I get my visa to move across the pond, and which type it will be. I left Minnesota back at the end of June 2021 to come out here to housesit and stayed on for almost 2 years. At first, it was going to be 6 months, housesit and then figure out the next move. Then, winter came, and I stayed, found a place that worked out very well with my comings and goings and my very nomadic life. I made somewhat of a life here in New England and got into a routine when I was here. As you know, I crossed the pond many times and so being here, was just a place to store the few things, bright with me, and that which I accumulated over time. And really did not look back on the convenience, the work, and the arrangements I made worked out very well. Sometimes you get lucky and well, I am verry lucky. ​

I knew I would eventually have to return to tie up loose ends and now that time has come to take care of that business. It won’t all get done and I will only be there for three weeks, but I hope to get things tidied up better so that when I return there in October, yes, leaving for across the pond in a month’s time, my future will be more solidified, and I can cut that chord with a need to return is done. It does not mean that I won’t return here or there as, of course, I have friends and acquaintances, and will always stay in touch, but that is not, nor has it been home for a very long time, even though the better part of my life was spent there. Home is where the heart is for me, and I found it when I met Rosa a little over three years ago. If I don’t get the visa by then, and a lot can happen between now and October, then I will be back here in New England, as it seems to be a better, in the short term fit for me than Minnesota. Where I will be until I have Italian residency visa is up in the air, but the plan is back here. ​

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This past week, nothing special except to clean, pack, throw things away and even shred 10 pounds worth of paper. It is amazing to think, and I have tried hard to reduce the amount of paper I use, that my industry is still paper driven. I know I have gotten better as I provide all my documents to my clients as e-documents in an e-document portfolio with information and pdf’s and so forth. It is a great system and while I was hesitant to go this route a few years ago, I absolutely use it now, especially since I am nomadic. It would make no sense to print everything and ship the wonderful light blue puffin portfolio folders from everywhere to everywhere which my clients loved. From a time and especially a cost standpoint, it no longer makes sense to do so, especially if I am sending documents to clients in the states from Europe where I am often. That cost would get extreme and in doing things electronically, it is much more cost effective, paper reducing and a lot more efficient. ​

Most of my clients, while they have expressed missing the Puffin Portfolio, are getting used to and loving the e-portfolio that is accessible on their mobile devices. The reason for all the papers of that 10 pounds,  is the fact that while my clients complete my Sales Contract forms on line and usually scan and email or e-fax them to me, and I could simply e-file them, for the record, I print those out, yet, on both sides to save paper and ink, so I have a paper copy on file until they have completed their travels and then I shred them. For me, it is still a bit of security blanket that I have all the signatures. It is also easier to read and transfer the information manually to my database from a printed copy to a pdf. If I could simply transfer the information directly to my database from the completed form, then I would not have to print the items out. For now, this is my process, so maybe there is a better way. That was most of the papers I had, with lots of miscellaneous items. In the end, I will continue to reduce and reuse and recycle where I can, but some old school things still exist. 
As I have continued to pack my SUV up for the temporary return to Minnesota, playing Tetris is the key to getting everything back in. I had hoped that I will return with less than I started, but if I am able to stay even, get everything in, I will be happy with that and now the vehicle is about 3 quarters packed and later today, except for the bag I will use each day of my return, the vehicle will be ready as I hit the road again, tomorrow morning. And, for the record, not a straight line, but another circuitous route, with a little detour across the border for two reasons to be shared later. By this time next week, if everything works out, I will be rolling into the Twin Cities and, yes, looking forward to a return to catch up with a number of people, have a little fun and tie up as many loose ends as possible, and see what real damage and destruction occurred when the pipes froze at the storage unit back in December, as I continue to move forward. 
As always, stay safe, stay healthy and always look for the best in a situation and be patient as the best things in life are worth waiting for. Thank you as always for your support of my crazy little world and my small business. As always, I look forward to your comments, questions, concerns and continuing the discourse through whichever means you read my posts!!!