I love it when a plan comes together!

The pieces are all falling in place and we might actually have everything prepared before we take off on this crazy adventure.  Sure, we still have a few important reservations to make.  There is packing to be completed and a couple of household projects to be wrapped up in the next week. Toss in some unexpected factors like surprise visitors, a last minute floor repair, and a bit of seasonal garden prep per our landlord and you've got a recipe for a full and potentially exhausting last week in town.

I've been so buried in the details of planning and organizing that this week is the first time that it has really started to sink in and the excitement has started to build.  We are actually doing this!  I can't believe we are going to travel for two months and see five continents, visit dozens of friends, see strange new cultures, be exposed to new languages, have a chance to brush up on our Spanish, learn all about the Outback, eat so many strange new things, finally see NY, explore ancient ruins, discover some new beers, share countless meals with friends, road trip to Mordor (or at least the shire), possibly witness the moon eclipse the sun, snorkle, swim, relax...  pfew.   I need to stop and catch my breath as this list is just the beginning of what I imagine the next two months will hold.

I'm horrible about sending letters but I have delusions of popping a note or two in the mail while we are away.  Let me know if you would like to receive a postcard from the road and I'll see what I can do.  Does anyone want anything from any of these places? Does anyone want to meet along the way (there's always room for more people to join!)?  These questions may seem strange at first but we have already collected a mix travel companions for various legs of the journey and have had a request to seek out a Maori flute even before we asked.

This will likely be my last post for the planning phase of our trip.  I'm not sure how consistant our internet access or free time will be but I expect my writing to switch gears and hopefully become more frequent.  From here on out this will serve as a kind of public travel diary of the things we are discovering and exploring along the way.  If all goes as planned, the posts will be a mix of photos, the unedited experiences we are having, and some plans and expectations before moving on to the next destination. Feel free to leave feedback, send us suggestions for things to see, or tell your own stories of the places we are visiting. You are a part of our journey as well and I'm excited to be sharing it with you as it happens!