2002

Excitement! I think it's fair to say we began 2002 having no idea where we'd end it.

As I mentioned, I applied to several different animation schools. We ended up settling on VanArts, in Vancouver BC. Quite a long way from Kissimmee FL! We started the Herculean task of packing up our house so we could put it on the market and move.

Meanwhile, I was still reviewing software for Macworld. I also updated Photoshop Elements for Dummies into Photoshop Elements 2 for Dummies.

A Sesame Street 3D movie was shooting in Orlando, and I worked a couple of days on that as a puppeteer.

So that was that. Goodbye, Orlando. Somehow we got our Honda Civic to Clarksville. Then we set out in a big rental truck (which Laura drove) and our Ford Explorer (with Burton and me). First stop was Clarksville, where we stored half our possessions at my dad's house. Ambrose and Camilla stayed at the house of Suzy Crockarell. Then it was off to Vancouver.

It's hard to believe we actually did this, but we did it. We were worried about Burton having to spend too long in the car, so we only drove 250 miles per day. But we eventually got there, and got a nice townhouse in North Vancouver.

Burton turned 2. I turned 39, and started my year of schooling at VanArts. This was a wonderful experience, and I made several lasting friendships. As I mentioned earlier, it was odd being in animation history class, and realizing you were the only one in the room — including the teacher — who was alive at the same time Walt Disney was.

We did come back to the US to see Paul McCartney play in Tacoma WA. It was Burton's first concert.

And so the year ended. We Three Little Fotts had come very far from Kissimmee.