DIY Divorce in Florida

Travel Planning for Life

Today's post is from Carolyn Ellis, creator of the Thrive After Divorce program.

Traveling to a new place brings out the explorer spirit of curiosity in us. But what would life be like if we treated every day as one big adventure? To thrive in life means to bring a sense of wonder and excitement to each day, and not just for those few weeks when we may travel to some new destination. We can adapt some of the strategies we use when planning a trip in our daily life as well.

Set a Course and Get Prepared

In real life, many of us don’t have a clear plan or itinerary for where we want to go. Without a clear destination in mind, it’s no wonder sometimes people feel like life is passing them by.

The first step is to decide where you want to go… What itinerary are you planning for your life? Once you consciously choose your destination, you get prepared. You figure out how to get there, what kind of currency and immunizations you’ll need, and what kind of clothing you need to bring.

Create an Itinerary

In our day-to-day lives, we tend to not give our plans the kind of persistent and consistent action needed to realize the results we want. In terms of preparation, we leave ourselves ill-informed or under-resourced to tackle the plans we do have.

Once the vacation destination has been selected, most of us will come up with at least a rough game plan or itinerary. What do you want to see and experience? How long will you want to stay there?

Pack along our Curiosity

Curiosity broadens our horizons, so be sure to bring it with you. An important ingredient of any adventure is a strong sense of curiosity. Pretend you are an explorer, setting off to find out something new and wondrous. Be open and present.

It’s not Personal

When you travel, you just know that unexpected things are bound to happen. The hotel you booked is a dive. The only day you have to visit that world-famous museum is the one day of the year it’s closed.

2009 Florida Laws About Divorce & Kids

The Florida legislature passed the Children's Issues Bill (catchy title, eh?) in the session that just ended. The bill was sent to Governor Crist on June 3rd. Unless vetoed, it will become law on June 18th.

•  -- The bill recognizes and authorizes the parenting coordination process and provides long-overdue qualifications for those serving as parenting coordinators and standards and safeguards for the process itself. 

•  -- The bill corrects a mistaken interpretation of last year's parenting bill that modification actions no longer required a showing of a substantial, material and unanticipated change in circumstances.  

• -- The bill provides needed clarification that there is no presumption for or against any particular time-sharing schedule. 

•  -- The bill clarifies and streamlines the process to be followed when a parent seeks to relocate his or her residence.  

So, stay tuned. When/if the bill actually becomes law, we'll break it all down for you.

Update: Gov. Crist signed the law. It becomes effective October 1, 2009.