Spouse is packing his stuff. Cat does not like it.

It's starting to feel very real. We worked on our ranked list of places to live. Writing names on index cards and playing the "would you rather" game, pooling our little scraps of knowledge about this place or that.

Right now our top 10 looks like:

- Anchorage, AK

- Denver, CO

- St Louis, MO

- Seattle, WA

- Milwaukee, WI

- Indianapolis, IN

- Omaha, NE

- Louisville, KY

- Salt Lake City, UT

- Minneapolis, MN

I have had to research each state's tattoo licensing requirements and try to weed out the more onerous states, like Oregon and Massachusetts, where the hurdles are simply too high. Alaska has a pretty tough licensing requirement, but we're going back eventually so it really doesn't matter, I'll face that dragon eventually. The rumor is they are overstaffed right now so likelihood we will get alaska is low. Missouri and Minnesota are also more difficult for licensing. Our current state does not license tattoo artists, so there's no existing bureaucratic record for me to transfer to another state. So I have to be prepared to start over, wherever we go. And because of uncle sam looking over our shoulder, I must be aboveboard and work legally. I can't just advertise on craigslist and work out of our home (with all the cat hair? gross.). Many people think that's all you need to do to get work, but really it just makes you look like a dumb clown to established respectable artists who follow regulations.

Honestly, no matter where I go, a large part will depend on just being lucky and finding a good shop that happens to have room. The odds go up if I can walk in and present myself well. I'm in a much better position than when we moved here, because I've sat at the front desk and witnessed randoms come in and ask about apprenticeship or coming on as an artist and let me tell you - they were some extraordinarily unprepared motherfuckers, and terrible artists to boot. I'm not Michelangelo, but I am a damn good artist and I know I have the whatever-it-is that makes people want to linger when they look at my work. So if the seed of opportunity exists, I know I have a good shot at taking advantage of it. It's just finding the right shop with the right group of artists at the right time, and that could potentially happen anywhere regardless of licensing requirements. It's less about the laws and more about the kismet factor. I've been very very fortunate with my employment timing in the past so I'm hoping that stays true. I've never "interviewed" for a job and not gotten the position, and almost every interview has been for something new where I had no previous experience. I'm good at coming off like I have potential. So if I can get an interview like situation, odds are in my favor.

Before I moved here the internet made it sound like it's almost impossible to get an apprenticeship and I was so so anxious. The truth is, most people do a poor job when they go about contacting shops, so naturally they get turned down and cry about it. That doesn't mean it's not difficult, but bare minimum effort will get you in the top 10% of candidates. Just show up with a damn portfolio and bam, top tier. From there it's luck and potential and having good judgement about the situation you're getting yourself in. Most apprenticeships, if you can get offered one, are pretty awful. There are a few rare unicorns who get an amazing top flight learning experience ... but from chatting with others, 80% of apprenticeships are different variations of miserable and abusive. I had a rough time with mine and it wasn't even that bad compared to other's experiences. I'd put myself in the lucky 15% that got some solid knowledge at least. I have heard some really terrible stories. So it's going to be tough, for sure. Just have to set myself up, be persistent and wait for the opportune moment.

If someone you know floats the idea of apprenticing as a tattoo artist, just tell them to go in the restroom and punch themselves in the nose until they cry. That's what an apprenticeship is like, except if you're unlucky someone will charge you $5k for the privilege. Honestly if I had a realistic idea of how tough it was emotionally before I got my heart set on it, I would have talked myself into something else.

I have so much to do in the next 5 months, oh my god. I really must apply myself to accomplish my projects and make myself into the person I need to be. Spouse and I are really going through the same process - we are both remaking ourselves for a new future in 5 months. So I'll miss him, but it's for the best that we are doing our own thing separate right now.

I drop him off at the airport sunday afternoon, which means ... yes, it means I have hot and cold running transportation again! I'm a real person for the next 5 months!! So exciting. The mind boggles.