Sunshine After the Storm

This week feels like the sunshine after the storm.  It is a wonderful week.  I have been happy every day, and when people walk by me at work and begin to give me the "aww, you poor kicked puppy" look due to the layoff last week, their faces change halfway as they realize I no longer look like a kicked puppy dog.  As the Rascal Flats classic says, "I'm moving on." 

I'm actually thrilled about the idea of freelancing for the Observer - setting my own schedule, writing the stories I want to write and hopefully picking up some travel writing and dance writing for other print entities.  I may even get into some copy editing. 

Apart from all the options both known and unknown (which are very exciting don't you think?  Not knowing where you might be in a few months but knowing it could be great...quite thrilling), anyway, apart from those happy-inspiring thoughts, it also looks as though I may be the official photographer for a trip to Florida with some friends of mine leaving after work on my last official day.  Talk about perfect timing!

If it works out, my friend, who is a kayak fisherman who has developed his own kayak which allows for shallow water fishing and standing up on the kayak, will be driving down next Thursday evening and Friday to Naples, FL for a expense-paid fishing expedition.  Our friend George and another girl will also be in attendance.  There was a 4th, but she bailed so it looks like I'll be able to fill her spot!  I am SO ready for sunshine and ocean!  Though given the paleness of my skin, my friends will probably need sunglasses just to look at my florescence. 

While there I'm hoping I'll have time to rent a car and drive to Hollywood, FL to visit my "Aunt" Sarah and her husband Ben as well as my Uncle John.  If not, perhaps they can come see me. 

Though I must say, it would be really neat to drive through the Everglades so close to where my family (a couple generations back) owned many acres that they ended up selling to the government.  In fact, Great Uncle Bud had the only landing strip in the Everglades which the government used whenever they wanted to visit and survey.  He also invented the swamp buggy - a jeep with huge wheels that could drive through the swampy areas.  And he helped Florida Power and Light string telephone poles through there.  Oh, and he used to feed alligators with marshmallows out of his hand.  I'm not making this stuff up, I swear. 

Anyway, not only will this be a really awesome trip, but I should have much to write about and hopefully some beautiful photos.