The New Year - 2011

Lots of goals for 2011 and many of them are in the works already. Mountain Wave will get a facelift, store and a new marketing push, Ash's Lifemax efforts will go to a new level, Delta continues on and we hope to become a lean mean efficient, uncluttered, adventuring family machine. Many of the pieces are in place or developing so that we can put this family on the road to Mexico next fall. Here's to the New Year and new adventures. Feliz Año Nuevo!

A Year Later-Preparations Will Continue

Almost a year later since we considered the move and a decision has been made to stay put for the time being. We will reconsider the move south again as 2011 moves along. In the meantime, we will be getting our ducks in a row as far as finances, language skills and business income go and then hopefully be in a much better position to take this experience on next winter and not struggle. I can't say that I am very excited about snow at this point but it's something that "just is" for the time being. All good plans need to be re-evaluated and tweaked a bit to truely be a success.

Really?

It looks like we may be on our way! After receiving some positive designer feedback in the Sayulita/PV area and Park City, we are ever closer to packing up the truck. It's so nice when people take the time to get back to you. There is so much to do to pull this off right that I am not sure how it will happen. Simply put, it's time to bust ass for a month so we can give this idea a shot. Items of concern: the condition of town after the flooding, housing, kids tuition at Costa Verde, getting a trailer with tools and supplies across the border, telling the grandparents, paying bills and being sure Ashley has an incredible time with this experience.

More Scary Events

Sayulita and surrounding communities have recently been hit hard with flooding and damage. Many good folks have lost everything and many more are busting tail rounding up donations and cleaning up mud, debris and getting these hard hit towns somewhat back to normal. Not sure how this might effect what we would like to do this season but for the moment we'll just sit tight and send good vibes to those on the front lines.

Waiting, Scary Events

It's coming up on the time when I should be getting back together by phone with Casa Loca about showroom space. After some good initial response from SLife, it's been a little quiet this past week. More violence in the north and some in PV has me a bit concerned too. But then again, some guy took hostages and was shot at the Discovery Channel headquarters today. It's everywhere in some form. I guess one just has to be vigilant everywhere. With our luck PV will become the center of a turf war and I'll get hired to make sinks for an entire development in Vallarta. Who knows. Trying good thoughts for now. Getting cold at night and I can't fathom winter coming. Gotta go south.

Holding Pattern

In discussion with Casa Loca in Sayulita, a good size-high traffic furniture store. Have to wait until September to really find out what their needs are. Problem is that I am in competition with a similar outfit from Guadalajara. Not sure what they are all about just yet but they are a half days drive from Sayulita. Hopefully this is to my benefit. Gina at Casa Loca has been great to keep in touch with and she likes our stuff. More discussion in a few weeks. For now, marketing in the US to see what develops here.

Some Stuff Done But Questions and More Questions

It's August 1st. Can I say yet that we will make the trip? No. But here is what has developed. Photos taken. Great local blog article written on a high end publication's website. Website in progress. Additional pieces for photos in progress. Sayulita Life ad placed. Kick-ass feature in El Sayulero written by Sayulita Life staff published. Over 90 plus hits on the SLife ad in 24 hours. A call for sinks from Sayulita already denied. Denied? The prospect wanted a sink in the next couple weeks that I would need to template for so I had to pass. Good to get interest but if we are going to get this going on the west coast of Mexico, we need to be down there. When do we decide we have enough interest to pack up and go? We could have all the interest in the world and not get an ounce of business and the whole idea would be a disaster. We could also not take advantage of what might be a great niche to fill and just stay home and hope for leads here. So tuff to make sense of it all.

A Beginning? Let's Hope So

Finally getting some time in to produce some pieces for the website with Ashley logging more hours with the kids at night. Hope to have 7 or so pieces ready in the next week or two. Had some interest with a furniture store in town but they have decided not to return my emails for some reason. Ian may be interested in a piece for the new Casa being built on the hill too. That would be a great start. Will be advertising soon on SLife to see if we get any interest at all that will help us make a decision about this whole thing. It's moving at a crawl but at least it's moving.

Time Goes Fast

I can't believe it has been almost two months since I entered something. The website is developing at a crawl which is my fault and product development is next to zilch-my fault as well. Having doubts about the whole idea-not necessarily the idea but the idea that we could possibly be in a position come late fall to pull this off. On top of that the lots are in the process of reqularization and the fees to the attourney hit up like a ton of bricks. The idea of all that money spent is exhausting in itself. Having lots for sale with title should help move them I would think. Can't believe that the idea of having a home south of the border may be a big contributor to us NOT being ever being able to visit and adventure south of the border. Now that's just f-ed up. Time to set some bigger goals for the coming months.

Crunchtime

In order make this work, I need to provide some kind of income for the family. We can't rely on Ashley's income with Delta as our only means of survival. Fortunatley, I can do the concrete thing virtually anywhere but trying to get the family ready, learn some Spanish, get a new business direction established complete with website, be a full-time Daddy and husband has been and will be a challenge. Oh, and then there is working full time. I don't think I should sleep until November.

Concerns

With any life changing direction, there comes concerns. Moving to a new country with a new language, customs, lifestyle etc are all things to prepare for. The grandparents will have their opinions about a relocation that will move the grandchildren even farther away from the east coast of the US. How successful will Ashley be commuting back to Utah and still have enough time in our new home to enjoy it? Will our Golden Retriever, Dillon, go mental with fireworks going off all the time? What happens if one of us gets hurt? Fortunately, we do know some people in town, Mexican and Gringo, that can provide some help or advice if necessary. That is some comfort.

The Tipping Point

It may not have started here, the desire to move to Sayulita, but I believe it was certainly the tipping point that made the decision a relatively easy one for me. The first 10 minutes of the animated movie "Up" tells of a couple who met as children, grew up, married and hoped to have a lifetime of adventures together. One thing or another got in the way and they never got around to it and in old age the wife falls ill, passes away leaving the husband alone. Before she does she encourages the husband to go and experience the adventures they never went on.

Before you know it, opportunities for "adventures" will be gone. A wake up call in an unlikely place or just in the right place with the right DVD? The kids, Alex and Trace, will adapt and Ash was relatively easy to convince since she can commute and alter her schedule with Delta Airlines. My construction job ends late summer/early fall and the timing of that makes fall 2010 the departure date for our family's first real "Adventure". But first, preparations.