Visions of Summer Travels
Hey well maybe I'm back to blogging for real. We'll see. I do have many many things flying around my brain right now, and what are blogs for if not to blab about them? Maybe I can bore my friends on facebook a little less. Ha.
Mostly I've been planning my craft show season for 2015. This always gives me a kind of Far Off feeling... concentrating on all the details of the summer and fall, I get kind of stuck there. Already living in the future in my mind. Imagining where I'll go, where I'll stay, what kinds of festivals I will attend, who I'll visit on the way. I'm already there.
It's shaping up nicely so far. At the start of the new year, I sat and thought about what I wanted my year to look like. What are my goals. The only thing I could see was doing another long distance Mermaid Tour to North Dakota and back, like I did last year. So I'm doing that. I'm still confirming shows etc, but it looks like I'll probably end up doing exactly the same shows as last year. I am looking at some variations but I haven't been too keen on what I've found... and I know the shows last year were good for me. If I do a little advertising, I could do even better going back.
I'll be gone about 6 weeks, 4500 miles, 5 shows: Oregon, Washington, North Dakota, Montana, then back to Oregon. I just had a freaking blast last year! North Dakota is the main focus of the trip, where I have family. It's so great to be able to do a festival where my mother, brother, and grandma can visit my booth!
Last year I really wanted to find a newer (bigger, better, sweeter) van for the trip, and managed to find the perfect one just in time. Of course it had to break down at some point on a long trip, right? Sure. Just like Mermaid Tour 2010. But again, it was fixed quickly and at a reasonable price, and I made it to my next stop on time. That was in Montana.
And you know, I was reflecting this morning about my time there. One of the highlights of my tour was the time I spent getting to know Montana, it is just lovely. I drove all over, stayed in campgrounds, parked over night on side streets, took refuge from the heat in restaurants. Everywhere I went, people were the nicest I have ever seen. Everywhere! In line at the grocery store, the young guy at the gas station, even my competitors at the crafts show. There were two big traditional tie dye booths, both run by women. They both made a point to came meet me and "check out this booth everyone is telling me about." So friendly and welcoming. Almost everyone was like that. And they have great breweries! I did look around for a different show that weekend, something closer the main interstate... but really? Why wouldn't I want to go back there again?
These are just a few of my brain ramblings as I map out my life for the next 6 months. Now it's time to get to the studio and start making things. Summer approaches!
Mostly I've been planning my craft show season for 2015. This always gives me a kind of Far Off feeling... concentrating on all the details of the summer and fall, I get kind of stuck there. Already living in the future in my mind. Imagining where I'll go, where I'll stay, what kinds of festivals I will attend, who I'll visit on the way. I'm already there.
 |
| Sunset over the Winthrop Rhythm & Blues Festival in Winthrop, WA. |
It's shaping up nicely so far. At the start of the new year, I sat and thought about what I wanted my year to look like. What are my goals. The only thing I could see was doing another long distance Mermaid Tour to North Dakota and back, like I did last year. So I'm doing that. I'm still confirming shows etc, but it looks like I'll probably end up doing exactly the same shows as last year. I am looking at some variations but I haven't been too keen on what I've found... and I know the shows last year were good for me. If I do a little advertising, I could do even better going back.
I'll be gone about 6 weeks, 4500 miles, 5 shows: Oregon, Washington, North Dakota, Montana, then back to Oregon. I just had a freaking blast last year! North Dakota is the main focus of the trip, where I have family. It's so great to be able to do a festival where my mother, brother, and grandma can visit my booth!
Last year I really wanted to find a newer (bigger, better, sweeter) van for the trip, and managed to find the perfect one just in time. Of course it had to break down at some point on a long trip, right? Sure. Just like Mermaid Tour 2010. But again, it was fixed quickly and at a reasonable price, and I made it to my next stop on time. That was in Montana.
 |
| Huckleberry Festival in Whitefish, MT. |
And you know, I was reflecting this morning about my time there. One of the highlights of my tour was the time I spent getting to know Montana, it is just lovely. I drove all over, stayed in campgrounds, parked over night on side streets, took refuge from the heat in restaurants. Everywhere I went, people were the nicest I have ever seen. Everywhere! In line at the grocery store, the young guy at the gas station, even my competitors at the crafts show. There were two big traditional tie dye booths, both run by women. They both made a point to came meet me and "check out this booth everyone is telling me about." So friendly and welcoming. Almost everyone was like that. And they have great breweries! I did look around for a different show that weekend, something closer the main interstate... but really? Why wouldn't I want to go back there again?
These are just a few of my brain ramblings as I map out my life for the next 6 months. Now it's time to get to the studio and start making things. Summer approaches!
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