Life Transplanet

Britton and I met at a party about 10 years ago. I remember the exact date: Saturday, January 22, 2000 because at midnight it was his (and my dad’s, and aunt’s) birthday. We mostly talked about Y2K (remember that?), where we were when the new millennium occurred (and how we had partied like it was 1999) and our interests. I was 19 and he was turning 21 at the stroke of the witching hour. We exchanged numbers and went on our first date about a week later. By Valentine’s Day we were a “couple”. We were both working entry-level jobs and I was going to school. He was still flying airplanes and that summer I went to stay in Mexico for a school exchange. We were both living with our parents and we were still figuring “us” out.

The other night Britton and I were talking about all the things we have achieved together in the last ten years. It’s amazing how fast time flies.

On one of our early dates

2000- Started Dating. Both working at low-paying, unskilled jobs. I stayed in Mexico for the summer. I would have stayed longer but I missed Britton. In retrospect, I think this was my first thought of combining these two loves (living in a Spanish-speaking area and being with Britton).

2001- I graduated from UNC with my bachelor’s degree in International Trade and Relations at age 20. Both of us started new jobs. Britton was a contractor for IBM and I worked at Westat, a research company and loved that I was able to utilize my Spanish skills.

At the Greeley Stampede years ago

2002- I started grad school. After 9-11, the interest rates (and everything) dropped through the floor. Britton had moved out and got a small studio apartment. We started talking and playing “house”. We decided to start thinking about buying one…

Snowboarding in Colorado

2003- Searched for and bought our first house. I was 22 and he was 24. We learned everything there was to know (almost) about mortgages, closings, realtors, interest rates, credit history (Britton had none). Over the next few years then we had to learn about HOA’s, putting in a fence, A/C, grass, window coverings -our house had been a foreclosure- and we wanted to finish the basement at some point. We also were engaged to be married, but wanted to wait until I finished school. Learned about diamond rings.

2004- Continued to work on the house. Graduated from my master’s programs in Spanish, Sociology and electives in Public Health. Started to plan and save for our wedding. I think it was around this time that Britton started working at Intrado.

2005 – Planned and saved for wedding. Got married on August 6, 2005. What a beautiful day. Then we went to Puerto Rico for our honeymoon. We spent two weeks down there and even then were looking at it as a place to live. We drove around the whole island. Our favorite areas were on the west side near the beaches and in the mountainous jungle -so that’s where we set our goal.

At the Arecibo Observatory on our Honeymoon

2006-The end of 2005 I found the job at the county. The first year was really exciting and interesting. Puerto Rico was pushed to the back of our mind.

2007- This was a tough year. Britton had a seizure (first and hopefully only!) in the beginning of the year. Random and scary, but got us thinking about where we wanted to take our lives. My dad was diagnosed with cancer. We started to think about life in different ways and decided to seek out other sources of income besides traditional jobs so that we could make our transition to Puerto Rico. We bought our first rental. Finished our basement. At the end of the year my mom and I went to Puerto Rico and made an offer on the place in Lares, Puerto Rico.

2008- No major changes as we waited for the title work to come through on the Lares property. Continued working. Started this blog.

2009- Visited Puerto Rico with Britton and the Lares deal fell through. Re-evaluated where we were at on that goal and decided we needed to get better set up for Puerto Rico, so we bought one rental property in May and then another in November. Also the economic collapse and subsequent uncertainty with my job helped to push us in this direction.

2010- Well, here we are in the second month of 2010 already. What will the future bring? Whatever it is, I am sure the next ten years will be as interesting as the last.

I brought Henrietta in the other night to put Vaseline on her poor chapped comb and Britton snapped this photo of us

I saw this article about Joel Salatin and I thought it was great. He talks about how farming could and should be, and that it really would be the easier way to do it had it not been for the chemical and food industry pushes. I especially liked the comment he made about backyard chickens when he said:

“If you want to get brutally honest, in my opinion we shouldn’t even have egg sales in America! Every restaurant and every home should have two or three chickens. I mean, you got a parakeet, why not have two chickens? You get eggs instead of a parrot keeping you awake at night. In a perfect world, that’s how it would be.”

Salatin’s views came into focus when author Michal Pollan included him in his book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma.  I am also really excited to go pick up Michal Pollan’s new book Food Rules (this link says it’s only $5 is that right?).

The Greeley City Council did move the chicken ordinance on to the February 16th schedule, so plan on coming down and helping us at 6:30pm City Council Chambers (next to Lincoln Library).

My salsa dancing legs

Last night you could say we had a “Latin Night”. We decided to get together with some friends and go out to dinner and then go salsa dancing in Denver. We went to Los Cabos II, a fun Peruvian restaurant and then we went to La Rumba, a great salsa club afterward. At dinner Britton and I sat in the middle of the table with half the conversation on one side talking in English and the other side talking in Spanish. I thought it was great…and even Britton was catching the gist of quite a few Spanish words.

Shana, Adriana, Kelly, Me, Rosario and Ofelia before dancing

Then we danced till about midnight at La Rumba. We had been there before, but it was still great fun. We took a short lesson and then watched a performance by some salsa dancers in West Side Story-type garb. When the live band started my friend Kelly said it reminded her of the Ricky Ricardo band/orchestra. They had a lot of great musicians and there were a ton of people dancing. My feet started to ache (the price of fashion I guess) and we were ready to go anyway. It was a great night out.

Read and give your feedback on this proposed ordinance. Is it just me, or is this a LOT of excess mumbo jumbo?

Chickens Chapter 18 52 035 FINAL DRAFT 12 29 092

I had been thinking about making a new website/blog for some time. Something I am very interested in is personal finance and our money system. But it doesn’t just stop there. I am interested in disecting the reasons we do the things we do and how we are manipulated with marketing, advertising, regulations and social norms. Part of our pull and desire to move to Puerto Rico is the feeling that we are so tremendously manipulated and essentially hypnotized into the American “standard” way of life.  We want to expand our horizons and go forth and be fruitful in a new culture and a land of never-ending summer.

If you are interested in following along in some of my disections and discussions of these issues as well as tips and tricks I have learned along the way, check out Fruitfulista.com from time to time. The name is a play on words that mix being fruitful with fashionable frugalista. I have added it to the Transplanet sites link to the right on this website. If you have some feedback about different things I should cover that relate or have a magazine, book, or movie I should check out that speaks to these, I would love to hear from you. If I think it fits, I will then write a short summary/recommendation. If you’ve had any “aha” moments related to these things, help make the discussion even more well-rounded!