Kickin' it Mobile

It occurred to me a few months ago that I don’t actually have to be home to run my business.

Well, home as in mentally home, yes. But not physically home.

In fact, leaving home for this “working vacation” may be the best thing I’ve done in a long time. Not that the grandmas didn’t pack their unmentionables kicking and screaming.

Grandma D: Well, David, I’m fairly certain a road trip is not for me. I would much rather fly.

Grandma K: It’s hot in Arizona.

Me: Yeah. Um, you know you two don’t have to go, right? You can stay here and look after Wicky.

Grandma K: What if you get scared before your workshop? You could throw up.

Me: Grandma, I have to do this. People are waiting for me. I can deal with scared, but not flaking out.

Grandma D: There had better be a place to stop along the road. I am going to pick flowers for my book.

Grandma K: It’s hot in Arizona.

Grandma D: Is that a Volvo? It looks old. Did you have the oil changed?

Me: Please get in the car. We are doing this.

We’ve been in Phoenix for two weeks now. Here’s the lowdown.

The People

Oh my god. The people. The People have been The Awesome.

Besides seeing (and staying with) family, I’ve met some great people here. The folks who attended my workshop were insightful, intelligent, and incredibly… nice. I had the privilege of sharing lunch with a few of them afterwards, where the workshop conversations continued – to my amazement. I did my best to chew with my mouth closed. They deserved at least that much.

Today I had cawfee talk with Victoria Brouhard (@victoriashmoria on Twitter). We just fell into conversation and had a great time. She’s one of the most unassuming, natural people I’ve ever met. I can see why her clients love working with her.

Last week I had breakfasty-type stuff with Brenda and Burt of Newhouse Studios. We could have talked all day and they introduced me to other cool people every 10 minutes. These people know the meaning of community. They’re awesome and I hope I get to return their hospitality someday.

Then there was Joe, Bobby, Stephanie, Lisa, Charlene, Noah… wow.

If there’s only one advantage of going mobile for a while, it’s meeting amazing new people. And the trip isn’t over yet.

The Travel

Driving from Portland to Phoenix is a long haul. Add a toddler and it’s… longer.

It’s not his fault. The little dude is made to run, jump, and play. He is not wired to sit strapped in a padded seat for 5-hour stretches. Neither am I, but I know why we’re doing this. This two-year old, he is a champ.

So we stopped more often than we planned through California. Not that I minded. California and I have been best pals since 1982. We drove by our old home and our old hangout and breathed heavy sighs. Sigh.

Why driving instead of flying?

Well, there’s that sentimental paragraph about Los Angeles that I just vomited at you. Otherwise, we’re just adventurers. Plus, as a homeschooling family, we tend to be on exploring side. Curiosity is not in short supply here.

For years, Jenni and I have been entertaining the notion of taking our lives on the road on a long term basis. Of course, we would do it in something larger than a Swedish station wagon. Ouch.

This trip puts us smack dab into the initial test phase. More on that later.

The Work

I’ve been working since I was 13 years old. I will die before I retire, which means I’ll always be doing something. Puttering and old war movies ain’t my thing.

Vacation isn’t much different. I don’t go for the lay-on-the-beach-sipping-fruity-things vacation. Oh my god, kill me now. At the very least I need to be surfing or swimming or playing volleyball, because lounging in a beach chair makes me go insane after about five minutes.

Last year we took a vacation to Mount St. Helens. We helped clear trails. Yes. We are freaks. I’m aware of this.

So I’m working. I hadn’t planned on working as much as I have, but my formula for getting new projects (whine and moan about no work) did the trick. Four hours on the road and I started getting calls. Awesome.

I’ve got my mobile office with me. In fact, Sparky Firepants Images is currently contained in a single backpack. Macbook, graphics tablet, checkbook, backup drive, cards, art supplies, and even books to give as gifts.

These days, wi-fi is almost ubiquitous. Mobile devices let us stay in contact with our families, co-workers, and clients more than ever. Like, constantly. So there’s nothing standing in the way of maintaining relationships and keeping projects humming along.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not all nose to the grindstone here. We’re meeting family, exploring, having big dinners, playing. My work schedule isn’t exactly banker’s hours right now. It’s a bit of a strain sometimes (on everyone).

But looking at the bigger picture, we’re figuring out how the mobile business and life can work.

A Question

Victoria and I were talking about taking leaps today. I was wondering out loud why some people take risks (leaving a job to pursue independent work, for example) and others prefer to keep the status quo (i.e.; perceived stability).

She offered that for some people, the fear of the status quo eclipses the fear of taking a big risk.

It’s so true. I wonder if there’s a tipping point for everyone to take a leap?

On Sunday we point our wagon towards home. A few more days of mobile life and mobile work and it’s back to the home that’s firmly planted in Oregon soil. Will it be a relief? Will we miss the road? Will we start shopping for an RV? We’ll see.

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