Turning 70: What Growing Old Means to Me

in Sedona, August 2018

When I turned forty, I thought, "Oh no, soon I will be old." Now that I am turning 70, I say, "Oh no, I am NOW OLD!" It is a good thing family and friends will be with me in Indio, California at a Club Wyndham Resort to "celebrate" with me this week. In addition, I found out that the average lifespan of a female in the Philippines is 72; in America, it is 84. Since I have left my stressful life in the Philippines and migrated to the US, I may have added twelve years to my life, just like that! 

back in Manila, August 2017

But it also means that somewhere about ten years before the average lifespan, your body begins to break down. Mine started to do so at age 62, in the middle of our RVing. First, I had a two-year case of hives after the stress of Bill’s heart attack. Then, I began to have strong bouts of acid reflux and other digestive problems. I changed my eating habits, put back rice and seafood into my diet, control my portions, and exercise daily. With this change, I hope there are twenty years left in me, at least.

The main thing that changed, however, is the mellowing and the balancing of my life. It used to be that I had huge goals that I strived for. Imagine studying until you finish your Ph.D., giving birth to pioneers in information technology in the country, contributing to industry and country goals, and bringing up three children singlehandedly all at the same time.

in Seattle launch, June 2015

But now, I have simpler goals on top of everyday life: see the world and take pictures of and write about our travels. The most stressful thing I do is when I combine those hobbies with publishing and promoting a book. Playing scrabble and poker and singing karaoke and dancing in parties relieve me of stresses. I love cooking and nurturing plants, too. It is a good thing that my husband does not mind housekeeping. But my husband disagrees. He says my goals may not be as big as before but they have now become bigger than when we first met. Oh well, life cannot be boring anyway.

The relationships I keep have become simpler, too. There is my beloved husband. He and I take care of each other. Then there are our children who have all grown and do not need much from us anymore. Then there are our grandchildren who give us so much joy. Finally, there are our friends, some neighbors, some who visit us, and some whom we visit. Of course, we have people with whom we still keep in touch.

In general, therefore, I may be becoming weaker and less healthy but these are accompanied by less striving and more peace. In my book, Carolina: Cruising to an American Dream, I write about how my contact card has changed from the corporate Carol as Carolina Esguerra Carreon, President/CEO, to the more colorful Carol, Carolina Esguerra Colborn, Wanderer, Writer, Wife.

in Ensenada, Mexico, August 018

Life has come full circle. It is now as basic as when we were children. How do we then travel past 70? There are times in the past when I have flown thirty-six hours instead of eighteen, chosen cheaper lodging even if it's far from the city center, and eaten street or fast food to save travel dollars. I submit that now we will probably travel less, but more slowly, and definitely, more comfortably, even if not more stylishly.

What I write about has also changed. As much as our travels have steadily become less, from twelve to eight, to probably four months a year in the next few years, I will probably write more about lessons we have learned, insights we have gained, and AHA moments we have relished. After all, getting old also means becoming wiser, having experienced much and understanding more. As we have accumulated the years, it is good that we have collected neither debt nor enemies, and not yet many wrinkles!  

pinnable image 

10 Gems of Largely Undiscovered Slovenia, Courtesy of Our Friends

beautiful Lake Bled

Please see the end of the post for discounts on Slovenian apartments and day trips.

We had such low expectations of Slovenia. It is not exactly off-the-beaten-path but neither is it top of mind when you think of going to Europe. But we had had not seen our long-time Slovenian friends for six years and our new American First Lady comes from Slovenia. When we got to Washington DC for our flight to London where we had a connecting flight to its capital, Ljubljana, we were told that Primera Air had just declared bankruptcy and was no longer flying as of that day. Tough luck! We had to shell out $3,500+ for new tickets. Our Slovenian visit just became very expensive!

But as soon as our Easy Jet flight made the approach, we saw how lovely it is: verdant green with purple mountains streaked with white. I was fascinated by the spruce trees of near whitebark I saw as our shuttle made its way. They looked like evergreen brothers of birches or aspens. We started to feel good!

the Central Market

Imagine our surprise when we found out that the apartment our friend Katarina was letting us use from her stable of units is right in front of the massive Central Market whose stall come alive every day at 7 am with all the goodies farmers and other vendors have to offer. Just to the left of her building is the funicular that led to the Ljubljana Grad (Castle) from where you can get the best aerial view of the city. At the Castle grounds, we found an exhibit of Slovenian mythology, front, and center of which is the dragon. To the right of her building is the walking path to the castle, right after her office where she offers day trips. It was good to know that all of Slovenia is reachable in a day.

view of Ljubljana from the Tower of the  Castle

the Fountaiin and St. Nicholas Church at the background

Just a few steps after her building and the Market you will get to the pedestrian, cobble-stoned Old Historic Center. Little electric shuttle cars are available for those who are tired from walking. Just half a block and you get to the yellow St. Nicholas Church and its massive unique doors. The Fountain is not far from the church. If you turn right you will immediately get to the Ljubljana River with the Three Bridges that lead to the Pink Church. The river is punctuated by other bridges, most notably the Dragon Bridge to the right and the Shoemakers’ Bridge to the left.  

To the left of the Pink Church are the shopping areas. Mustering the strength not to buy too much, we found the city’s green oasis, the Tivoli Park, at the end. There are two art galleries at its entrance and the long promenade, lined with Slovenia’s classic paintings, leads to a former castle that had also been turned into a beautiful art gallery up the hill.

the mystery at Tivoli Park

Katarina customized, per my request, a combination of two-day trips to be done in one day, setting aside the tour of the Lippizans which we have seen in Florida. Luckily, an Australian couple loved the idea and joined us in a small van with a guide to visit three unforgettable destinations south of Ljubljana.

Our first stop was the Postojna Jama (Cave). I almost wanted to remove it from the itinerary, too, since we have seen so many caves around the world. OMG, I am glad we did not! All of its 24 kilometers of viewable areas were accessible by trains and short walks and are all very well-lighted. We climbed the highest point, descended to the lowest, of the whole hill inside the cave! We explored the Dance and Concert Halls and were fascinated by gleaming pure calcite pillars, the colorful iron oxide curtains, and white spaghetti sprouts. They were grand formations we have never seen before.

beautiful curtains of Postojna Jama 

Part of the Park and just about fifteen minutes away, is what is called Predjama Grad, a unique castle built onto a smaller cave. We saw the older portions of the castle carved into the cave and the newer parts at the cave’s opening that were built to make the castle more comfortable for the owners. There is a fireplace in the bedroom, a kitchen, a dining room, a cellar, a water collection cistern, a chapel, and servants’ quarters. But it is the defense structures that were unique: a solid entrance with a drawbridge, an armory, shooting holes, and narrow openings for the guns and cannons. What an interesting castle built, not primarily for the luxury like others, but for maximum defense.  

unique Predjama Grad

And we continued south to the 43 kilometers of Slovenian coastline In the city of Piran where the finest sea salt in the world is produced. After a sumptuous seafood lunch, we descended into the spit where the red rooftops made for a beautiful scene, very much like in Croatia. To the left one can see Croatia’s coast, to right Italy’s, and up the hill stands a Catholic Church and a monastery from the 1600s.

ice cream at the tip of the coastline in Piran with  a view of the Italian coast 

That night Katarina drove us to Bled and, on the way, we relished the burgers at the only MacDonalds in Slovenia. Then she brought us to one of the rental apartments of another friend, Jure, for our next tour day. Imagine our thrill when we found out it was right on Lake Bled. We could see the lights of the other castle on the hill but it was In the morning when we were left awestruck by all the beauty around.  

Jure picked us up the next day and the three of us began our slow walk around the six-kilometer perimeter of the lake. We stopped several times so we can take many photos at different angles of the famous church on the island in the middle of Lake Bled Colorful boats regularly brought tourists to and from the castle. We also stopped for coffee and to admire the work of a painter which were different perspectives of the famous scene. Jure bought me a small one and the painter proceeded to paint the three of us at the back of the painting, signed it, making permanent our “moment in time.”

the twin falls at the end of Vintgar Gorge

After lunch at the oldest local dishes restaurant in town, Jure took us to Vintgar Gorge, a 1.6-kilometer gorge created by the Radovna River. The stream is so clear you can see the fish, logs, and rocks in the not-so-deep waters. As we walked the long, narrow boardwalk, we saw the boulders that punctuated the waters, creating gushing little waterfalls. Towards the end, you will find the larger twin falls, crowned by a tall arch bridge where trains ran. It was such a pretty scene.

By that time we had walked 9.2 miles and were tired but Jure wanted us to see the largely unexplored, more pristine, and the bigger lake known as Lake Bohinj. On the way and back, he happily told us about the Slovenian countryside and rural life: the identical little churches in every village, the unique kozolecs or hayracks for drying hay and corn or even store wood, and the small garden each Slovenian home nurtured from where the family gets their own favorite vegetables. 

   

Lake Bohinj

We saw so much more in three days than we had ever planned. Having Slovenian friends host us was our definite advantage. As a matter of fact, we were also able to sample many local dishes. My next post is a deeper look into Slovenian cuisine and why they are so delicious and healthy. There is a reason obesity is nonexistent in the country. But for now, $3,500 seems so small compared to the emotional, intellectual, and spiritual satisfaction we found on this short but comprehensive trip of the largely undiscovered gem that Slovenia is!

IMPORTANT NOTE

For those who want great rates on Katrina's centrally-located  Ljubljana apartments featured in Airbnb, please click CENTRALLY-LOCATED LJUBLJANA APARTMENTS. For discounts on the day trips she organizes, please go to her website TRIP YOUR DAY. Mention “Carol Colborn Blog” in your inquiry for both apartments and day trips and get the 10% discount for any booking(s) you make.

For those who want to rent any of the six sought-after lake view apartment units of Jure on Lake Bled, please click LAKEVIEW APARTMENTS ON LAKE BLED. 

pinnable image

Wonderings on Wanderings: Turning to Marketing!

my new FB Business Page cover photo

Now that I have submitted the book, I wait for feedback regarding 1) completeness, 2) content liability, 3) Round 1 editorial evaluation, 4) Round 2 editorial evaluation, 3) proofing, 4) printing, and distribution. From the first step to the last can be three months at the minimum or, as I assess my chances, six months, partly because we are going on this three month European tour starting May 17.  So now I have turn to marketing activities.

I have been marketing different products and services all my life: IT training, consulting, software, hardware, and services. In marketing a book, the principles are the same, I think, but the state of the art is very different because of the impact of the Internet. I am told that a credible online platform is a must in selling books. So I have repositioned my blog and Facebook profile as parts of that platform. My blog is now averaging 700 views a day. Good platforms are supposed to log in 30,000 a month. I have to work harder!  A FB fan base of around 3,000 is also needed. I have only 2,000 so far but I think I will get there.

FB BUSINESS PAGE

A FB business page entitled The Cruising Lifestyle has been set up and I hope that likes for it will also reach 3,000. It will be the repository of my most popular OLA (Our Lifestyle Adventures) blog posts of not less than 2,000 views and the WOWs (Wonderings on Wanderings)  that describe or lend a discussion towards the understanding of the cruising lifestyle. Right now it contains five WOWs and five OLAs, with a common post, totaling 9.

Most Popular Posts (OLAs with more than 2,000 views as of May 3, 2014):

1. Traveling Light, in an RV? (19,446)

2. Turning Wounds into Wisdom (18,765)

3. Discovering More in New Mexico (18,511)

4. Going up the East Coast (14,825)

5. Finding Christmas on Treasure Island (11,615)

Descriptive Posts (WOWs):

1. Traveling Light, in an RV (19,446)

2. Cruising to a Life together of Cruising (10,340)

3. Going through the Five Stages of the Cruising Lifestyle (108)

4. Debating the Pros and Cons of the RV Cruising Lifestyle (5,258)

5. Classifying Campgrounds (129) 

I intend to update this Page on a weekly basis. The page gives you an easy way to get updated with my blog through its most important and popular posts. I hope you like it.

WEBSITE

I have also created a website entitled The Cruising Lifestyle. It contains the following sections:

1. an active link to the three most recent blog posts,

2. a link to the five articles/posts that have been republished in three publications,

3. the top 10 photos of five galleries (Scenes, People, Plants and Animals, Unusual Things, and Things Yellow). Actually, my blog contains all our photos in these five galleries, too, and  

4. everything about my travel memoir Carolina, Cruising: the cover, back cover copy, a free preview (later) and all announcements.

Right now the big announcement on my website is that an Early Bird Discount is now available! Please go to http://www.gocruisinglifestyle.com  for the details.

There are four Ps in marketing: product, price, place, promotion. I am working on the product and it is now at the publishing stage. Price will be decided with the publishing house together with place or the points for distribution. The online platform will be the key for promoting the book. But after the platform, we probably will also need advertisements (FB and Amazon) and publicity, the latter probably the more important of the two. So I am scheduling at least two tentative book signing events, Phoenix in November and Manila in January.

They say 10% of the effort is in writing the book, 30% is in publishing it, and 60% is in marketing it. Being right in the middle of publishing and lining up marketing, there is so much work left for me to do. 2014 has and will continue to be one busy, and very exciting, year!  

Wonderings on Wanderings: Selecting a Publisher

design/title number 1

 design/title number 2

The first thing I was confronted with after finishing my manuscript and sending it over to my editor for Round 1 edit was whether I should go the Traditional or Self-publishing routes. Now that I have sent the revised draft for Round 2, I have decided. Here’s how I made the two decisions. (Included are three tentative cover designs/titles; please comment which you like best!)

design/title number 3

In traditional publishing, the author writes a query letter or a proposal to a publishing house (or has a literary agent do this for them). If the house decides to publish the book, it buys the rights from the writer and pays a small advance on future royalties. Then it puts up the money to design and package the book, print, market, and distribute the book to the public. If the house decides not, the author can turn to another house or literary agent. In self-publishing the author provided the funds to produce the work and market and distribute the book. In the past, the author printed copies resulting in stacks of unsold books gathering dust in the garage! Print on Demand (POD) technology changed all that.

self publishing arm of Amazon

The fundamental differences between the two are 1) time, 2) money, and 3) control. With traditional publishing, a manuscript can take years to become a book because an author may have to pitch the manuscript to several publishing houses or hundreds of literary agents before it is picked up. With self-publishing, an author can literally have a finished book within six months. But authors have to pay for this service, which can be thousands of dollars. Traditional publishing pays some advance and vigorously promotes your book. When you self-publish, you're all by yourself. Thus self-publishing works best for people who are good at marketing and want control because an editor at a publishing house may turn your manuscript into something very different from what you want.  With self-publishing, the author decides about content, design, and appearance, even where the book is marketed and distributed.

self publishig arm of Simon and Schuster

I am 65 and did not want to wait. I am self-publishing! But then I was confronted with many self-publishing companies that offer various publishing packages. Fortunately, the day I turned over my draft for Round 2 Edit to my editor, I found out that four of the most popular companies (AuthorHouse, iUniverse, xLibris, and Trafford all owned by Author Solutions that is affiliated with Pengin/Random Books) had a 50% off promo but only up to Friday, March 14, in just two days! I quickly asked them to give me up to Monday, March 17. They all did! Together with three other companies that did not have promos (CreateSpace by Amazon, Outskirts Press, and Archway Publishing of Simon and Schuster), I set up a matrix with the following criteria: technical services such as ISBN/Congress/copyright assignment, cover and interior designs, formats and trim sizes available, business services such as retail price and royalties, distribution arms, marketing extras, and intangibles and add-on services. 

independent publishing house

The variety of offerings led me to think clearly what my goal was in publishing the book. Was it to tell my story to friends and relatives or to tell it to a wider audience? If the former, I should select the cheapest alternative which turned out to be $925. If the latter, I should select a completely different type of package, one that would give me the opportunity to be heard by a wider number of people. I chose the latter, at $1,299 (originally $2,599) that had an editorial evaluation service with the package. If the editors deem your book to be worthy, they stamp the book cover with an Editor’s Choice seal and, if your marketing program is deemed adequate, your book is advertised with the Rising Star collection. With sales of 500 books in traditional outlets like bookstores, your book will be stamped a Star and  given financial aid. 

one of four by Author Solutions

So I bought the chance to be in these Recognition Programs for $325 more. Even if I do not land them, the editorial evaluation alone will enable me to improve my book. Besides, with the royalties provided, it means only an additional 300 books to recoup the additional investment. I thought it was worth the risk.

one of four by Author Solutions

At the time of this writing, I have signed the Publishing Agreement with iUniverse and I have at most six months to turn over my manuscript to them. I plan to do so before Bill and I leave for Europe on May 17. Six months after, I will have a book on the market!

one of four by Author Solutions

In other words, I have finally committed to deliver to you, my dear readers, a book about what you have been reading about in this blog: our four and a half year cruise of North America…with all the juicy stories behind the scenes! 

one of four by Author Solutions and the one with whom I signed up

Wonderings on Wanderings: Building a Team, Planning a Business

my social media marketing consultant, the most prominent digital influencer in the Philippines, Janette Toral!

Bill, my go to person

I have not written a book to earn lots of money. But I did not write one to lose money either. They say 10% of the effort is in writing the book, 30% in publishing, and 60% in marketing. Being right in the middle of editing, still researching publishing, and just lining up the marketing steps, there is so much work left for me to do. My go to person for helping me is, of course, Bill, but he has enough on his plate, especially now with his CASA commitment. 2014 will definitely be one busy year without help! I need a team and I need a plan!

my editor, Chit Tribiana

With Chit having completed Round 1 of the book editing, Bill and I made an appointment with an Arizona CPA to get guidance on how to set up the business for ‘The Cruising Lifestyle’ as a brand that will have the book as the first product. He advised us to set up a simple single proprietorship, a DBA (Doing Business As). He also said we can set up a book of accounts using the concept that 50% of some of our expenses can be charged to the business such as the RV, car, computer, and membership at Thousand Trails Resorts, basic things that enable us to maintain our RV cruising lifestyle.

With the book of accounts set up, I made a preliminary business analysis. If I make a small profit per book, then I need to sell 10,000 books; a medium means 5,000 books; and a high means just 3.333. These numbers seem very doable! I am even more excited now! Even if I sell no books, we would have only spent direct expenses of about $3,000 and just a little more than $1250 if I don’t spend a single cent in marketing! Is Bill going to support me in this endeavor?  Of course!

The major part of the business plan, once set up, is marketing. I have been doing this most of my business life, marketing different products and services: training, consulting, software, hardware, etc. There are four Ps in marketing: product, price, place, promotion. The final product is on its way; price will be decided with the publishing house; the same with place or points for distribution. To promote a book, the principles are the same but the state of the art is now different because of the Internet.

Literary agents and publishers say that a strong online platform will be key in promotion. So I have repositioned my blog, my Facebook profile, and twitter account as parts of that platform. My blog has since averaged 13,500 views a month, below the 30,000 strong platforms have. So I have more to do! A FB fan base of around 3,000 is also needed. I have only 1,800 but think I will get there. My new FB business page, The Cruising Lifestyle, is under construction and hopefully will also reach about 3,000 likes. My new website, gocruisinglifestyle.com, also under construction, will put my blog, my book, articles published, and photo galleries in one place. 

But I definitely need help because I still do not use Twitter enough and have not even begun to use LinkedIn or You Tube.  Even Pinterest and Instagram can be exploited. So I need a social media marketing consultant. There are many who are offering their services in the US. But why will I pay top dollars when better value services can be had from the Philippines, second only to Brazil in using social media? So I have sought the opinion of Janette Toral, the most prominent digital influencer of the Philippines, who promptly gave me homework to do. First idea is this: the key is to have engaging conversations with potential clients, enlisting their email addresses, and converting to a sale!

my traditional media marketing consultant, Jingjing

But we probably will also need ads (FB, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc.) and publicity, the latter probably the more important of the two. I am lucky that one of my BFFs is a well-known publicist in the Philippines, Jingjing Romero. She will probably not say no to help me penetrate the Filipino reader marketplace! But I do not have any idea how to do it in the US. Hopefully, my publishing house will be able to help me reach the American reader marketplace!

So there you have it, I don’t feel so alone now. I have an initial team: Bill, Chit, Janette, Jingjing. Three published authors have also reviewed my book: Linda Herman, Roberta Dolan, and Linda Kennedy. Two bloggers, Tel and Merry Jo, also helped. Family members Suzanne and Claudine pitched in. And friends Liz Kranz and Chit Derkits complete my team of reviewers. Who else would like to be part of my team in this journey? You are so needed!