Bad Weather Travel Tip

One of the things I have found to be necessary where I live is an over-night bag in the car.  This idea came to me, of course, after I was unable to return home due to a massive snow-turn-to-rain event back in 2007.  I wasn't able to return home for four days due to many mud slides and flooding.  Of course I knew kind friends who let me stay at their place, but imagine not even having your toothbrush with you.

So the over-night bag has become a staple emergency item that gets checked and repacked every Fall, and stays in the car till June.

Today I found a new use for it.  I was cleaning an outdoor hot tub for a client in the wettest downpour I have seen in a long time out here.  Needless to say I was mostly soaked.  I remembered that I had that bag in my car and was able to change into dry clothes in order to finish my work there.

Things to put in this bag would be pertinent to you and your travel habits.  A change of clothes, toiletries, pj's, etc.  I also put a twenty dollar bill in there.

It's really about peace of mind for me.  I imagine that four day stay away from home and think about what I might like to have with me.  

In a worse case scenario, a bottle of water, even some non perishable food might be a good idea.  A blanket and a flash light.  I have a space blanket that fits in the glove box.  What if you had to sleep in your car?  

Imagine no cell service, no people, bad weather, maybe it's dark.  That's no time to panic, just be prepared.

Have any great travel tips to share?

New Pioneer Wheels

A friend of mine suggested I write about my recent experience searching for, and purchasing a new car.

Although I am fairly confident in most areas of my life, I did feel a bit of trepidation for this task.  I needed to research the vehicles, then decide what would work best for me, then of course, actually go out and purchase one!

I started with the research.  Luckily I found the April 2011 issue of Consumers Report magazine to be all about cars.  The reviews for the 2011's and extensive information on used cars.  I studied this for hours.  I already had in mind a few cars I liked, but read about all of the competitors as well.

Now here is where I may lose a few skeptics about mysticism and metaphysics, but I am willing to take that chance.  I meditated daily on this issue and instead of visualizing "the" car I wanted, I focused on the energy of the outcome;  the things I wanted and needed in a car. 
Where I live, city cars don't make the cut.  Here we need something that can handle hills, snow, rain and mud.  So it was important for me to look at the all wheel drives, clearance underneath, and versatility.  Of course price was key, so the fancy SUV's were out.

While I was in this process I saw many cars that caught my attention.  Here is where the "signs" of the process came in.  I was attracted to the Vibe, Matrix, Fit and Focus, all great cars. 
It took me a while to figure out that it was not the cars, but the names of the cars that were the signs!
So I "focused" on the "vibe" that would form the "matrix" to give me the perfect "fit". 

Of course by now it had been six months in to my research and I was pretty clear about what I needed.  One day in a parking lot I saw the Suzuki SX4 and was quite taken with it's hatchback, four doors and overall look.  It was of course on my list of best AWD small cars, but I wasn't convinced yet. 

As I continued my search I applied for financing online at both Honda and Toyota, but got no response, interesting.  Then I found a pre-owned SX4 online and applied there.  I got a response in 30 minutes via email and phone! 
It was a very pleasant experience from application to delivery.  By the way, I ended up with a 2011 SX4, as I just could not pass up the incredible warranties!!!

So the moral of the story is this.  One has to use more than your head smarts to make decisions and follow through.  A keen intuition, and trust of that intuition is vital.  You will know when you have made the right choice or decision, as it feels really good!

So here's the new vehicle for the new pioneer at retro retreat.