Less than two weeks to go? Plenty of time to stress out!

I apologize in advance if this post is on the ranty side, but I need to vent.

Yesterday marked the "Two Weeks To Go" point before the trip. What was once just an abstract idea is slowly coming together, and we embark so soon!

And there is so much to do before we leave.  We need to sort through our worldly belongings, separate wheat from chaff, and put the "wheat" in storage. I need to wrap up loose ends of art deadlines. And figure out how this trip is going to come together.

The "wrapping up art deadlines" is one big frustration. There are things I need to get done before I leave, things I'm realizing won't get done before I leave, and then things that are uncertain. I don't want to burn any bridges, as being a "professional illustrator" has something to do with reputation. But I have a feeling I just might.

But my biggest frustration is money, or lack thereof. Let's just say that I don't have as much money saved as I'd like. Part of this is due to one big big art project that I thought would be wrapped up months ago, and would have added a lot of coin to the coffers. I feel stupid for expecting that money, because at this point I don't know when this project will wrap up and when I'll see that money. I know that we can get by with little money (we've had much practice), but I hate stressing out about it.

I hate getting all Public Radio Pledge Drive on this blog, especially since that's exactly what's going on with our local NPR affiliate. But we can definitely use your monetary help! You can donate to our IndieGoGo campaign. While I would love a bunch of people donating $250 or more, every little bit helps, even at the $20-30 level. As that saying goes, "Many drops make a bucket, many buckets make a pond..."  And a side note on the IndieGoGo donations: contributions made by PayPal will find its way to our bank account sooner than other means.

And if you'd rather buy stuff, I still have my sale going on over here. I'm talking custom screenprinted posters for $10! There's still one more week before it ends.

*****

Which brings me to the major quandary: Should I be doing this trip now? Am I ready? Are we ready? I often ask this to April before we go to sleep. She says that no matter when we plan on doing a ridiculously long cross-continent trip, we'd ask the same question. We'll never be ready. And what better time but now to do it? Especially since I have a job that has run its course. It might be awhile before I get the opportunity again. And once the trip actually begins, things will fall into place. Sure, there will be stresses along the road. But all the "real world" worries will go away. All my stressing about loose ends in Portland will evaporate.

Thanks for letting me vent.