Tag Archives: rtw

Sedona, Grand Canyon, Moab, Oh My!

Devils Garden in Arches

Devils Garden in Arches

I was planning our spring break trip to the Southwest National Parks at the same time as researching our fall in SE Asia.  There was something about the color and vibrancy of Thailand that made Arizona and Utah seem barren, dry, and, frankly…bland.

Wrong again.

The southwestern U.S. is akin to going to Mars (except you wear shorts instead of a space suit).  The landscape is other worldly…pillars of space age rust rock jutting up from mile after mile of dusty, rocky barren land.  The vibrant orange hue of sandstone monuments and arches against the ever reaching blue sky.

The kids and I shared hot Navajo fry bread dipped in honey after a strenuous hike through the vast Grand Canyon…peering down at the deep green Colorado River carving its way as we munched.

It’s all a reminder of the geographic and cultural diversity in my own country.  Our rtw trip is about an overseas experience but our spring break trip was a good reminder that there’s so much to explore in my own backyard.

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Shedding a New Skin

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A year off work is a gift and a luxury.

Think how I’d feel if the year had passed and all I had to show for it was a clean house and being caught up on Netflix.  I’m cognizant not to fritter away this precious time.

The rtw trip is clearly a large part of the gift of a year, however I have 3-1/2 months before lift off.  My goals:

  • Family & friend connection
  • Digital detox (yeah, I’m not quite sure how to write a blog AND have a digital detox)
  • Creative recovery…

…you can be in business and be creative and I’ve been lucky that most of my corporate roles have been about building from scratch or rebuilding…creativity abound.  However if you’re an “all-in” type of person, you can’t give it to work and give it outside of work.  It’s now time for my OWN creative recovery.  What does this look like?  Writing morning pages (3 hand-written semi-conscious pages every morning); walking, running or hiking in nature every day; and…prepare yourselves…Bollywood dance class.  Yes, really.

I can feel these simple steps…already applied…opening up my core.  And it feels …amazing.

One Way to Tokyo…Konnichiwa My Friends!

left turn

I expected some left turns along the way however I didn’t expect them BEFORE we hit the road.  RTW families consistently gave me the advice to travel slow and to not over plan.  I had this nagging feeling that I was failing at both…and I was.

I had every day of our four months in Japan and SE Asia planned and the pace of an average stay was five nights in each location…too brief to get a handle on and appreciation for our surroundings.

Part of slowing down is listening to your gut and last night I canceled all of our SE Asia accommodations.  Tonight, instead of purchasing the planned Global Explorer rtw tickets, I purchased four one way tickets to Tokyo.

I feel liberated!  And grateful that with life starting to slow down, I can hear myself again.

Road Schooling Part II

Education Wherever You Are

Education Wherever You Are

By George, I think I’ve got it! For many of you, this will be a dull post. However for those with wee ones who dream of an escape, this is a practical post. Here’s the approach for taking a year on the road while still paying homage to the Seattle Public School system, so, you know, your darlings will graduate and go on to accomplish great things.

1. Fill out the Declaration of Intent to Homeschool: http://cppp.seattleschools.org/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/1708901/File/Declaration%20of%20Intent.pdf and submit to the school district. I was happy to hear that as a college graduate, I qualify to homeschool my lucky little ducks. Poor mallards.

2. Home school my nuggets! Easier said than done, however between Khan Academy, http://www.khanacademy.org, and Stanford online, http://epgy.stanford.edu/, to handle the math and science, I am covering the reading and writing based on where we are in the world. And I’m relying on Japan, SE Asia and South America to add a little art, music, language AND confidence building along the way!

3. Re-enroll the monkeys in the Seattle Public School system in early spring of 2014 for the 2014/2015 school year.

Voila!

Here’s what I know from a life in business, when strategy is implemented, the unplanned gaps appear. So stay tuned for the “solves” along the road.

On a different note, here’s a tease of one of the places we’re staying in Thailand in the national park of Khao Sok: http://www.khaosokaccommodation.com. Monkeys and spiders and snakes…oh my!

Coffee, Oh How I Love Thee

That blessed morning ritual – how will it look from the road?

A rtw trip based on good coffee might swing through Java, Ethiopia and Costa Rica. Alas, we’re not hitting any of those countries (this time!).

Thankfully, the countries on our itinerary love coffee as much as we do! Part of our cultural journey will be found in our morning cup of joe – enjoying high octane coffee sweetened with condensed milk in Vietnam, seeking a Nescafe alternative in Chile, and exploring the dozens of vended options in Japan.

At home, it’s single press, by the cup. And it’s delicious. But I think we can all agree that taste is influenced by its surroundings. That’s why fondue is so good on a Switzerland ski slope or why a caipirinha simply tastes better on a beach in Brazil. It’s in the language, colors, sounds…the vibe of your environment as you take that sip or bite.

We’ll be drinking in a lot more with each cup of coffee.

our morning ritual

our morning ritual

The Dog

This is Mickey.

Mickey Fall 09 008

This is Mickey as a puppy.

Copy of IMG_3851

I can hear you saying “ahhhh.”  Do you see our dilemma?

Mickey’s a part of our family and, yes, we are attached.  When I kneel down to pet him, he puts a paw on my shoulder, claiming ownership. Sean says that while we may think Mickey returns our love, the dog is simply invested in us because we invest in him with food and play.  Wah wah.

A common question we hear about this trip is “what are you doing with your house and dog?”  We debated many options with the house:

  • Trade it?  Too cumbersome. And surprisingly grey Seattle is not a top destination on home trading sites.
  • Rent it?  Eight months is an odd space of time to rent and the thought of packing everything up when we moved in less than a year ago was numbing.
  • Sit it?  Yes!  Ultimately we decided we needed a house sitter to stay in our house, taking care of it and Mickey.  That person ended up being a younger brother – it works out for both parties.

AND, he can send us Mickey updates while we’re on the road.  So when we hear the dog put his paw on my brother’s shoulder, I’ll know it’s all about the kibble n bits.

How Lucky Are We?

VikingNatures

Here are two reviews of the Viking Natures Resort on Phi Phi Island in Thailand:

 “An idyllic hide-away with stunning views and clean, comfortable rooms”

 “DO NOT STAY HERE! Worst hotel I’ve ever been to”

One picture shows a beautiful beach with turquoise water and the next picture shows the same beach with trash strewn across it.  viking-natures-resort

Will the real Phi Phi Island please stand up?

The fire hose of online information is a mixed blessing.  Frankly, it was reading other rtw family blogs that encouraged me to believe that we could do this trip.  On the other hand, when 8 out of 10 people say that they didn’t appreciate Vietnam, should I consider taking that country off the list?  Information paralysis!

One family blog, http://away-together.com/, has the motto of no regrets.  I find this to be a wise stance.  In eight months of travel, there will be places, people and experiences that make our hearts expand with gratitude and joy.  And of course there will be times when we are let down and uninspired.  Regardless, whether we love every destination or not, we’ll learn from it and that learning will inform the rest of our lives.  So, in good times or in bad, with too much information or too little, I ask, how lucky are we?

In fact, I think that’s going to be our motto, how lucky are we?

Orville & No Name

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Here are the kids getting fitted in their packs.  Julia has named hers Orville.  Hmmm.  Kid’s got an itch for popcorn.  Sean chose not to name his because “boys don’t name things.”  O-k-a-y.  They think this is fun now because the packs are not filled with 30lbs as we trek in 90 degree heat through Northern Vietnam.  The kids were given an option to pick patches to distinguish their packs.  Julia picked a brittany spaniel Mickey-look-alike patch and a Valkyrie patch (a female warrior AND the name of her soccer team).  Sean chose not to pick a patch because “boys don’t do that.”  What a shame he wasn’t wearing his scouts shirt with a dozen or so  patches on it when he told me that.  I could have looked at him cross-eyed.

Road Schooling

Reading in Venice

Reading in Venice

How does one road school? My 1st lesson in road schooling is persistence…it has yet to pay off.

Here is my experience thus far:
• Reached out to Advanced Placement office, referred to school principals.
• Contacted said school principals, referred to Home Schooling Association.
• Contacted Home Schooling Association, referred to Seattle Public Schools curriculum office.
• Contacted curriculum office, referred to Advanced Placement office….wait, I’ve been there before!

Not sure what will be more challenging: nailing down the curriculum the kids need to keep up or teaching them algebra. (Oh who am I kidding, we all know what will be more challenging!)

I am excited about the “freestyle” curriculum that I get to create – how cool will it be to read Goodbye Vietnam while living in Hanoi or to study glacier formation while trekking across the Perito Moreno in Patagonia?

Suffice it to say it won’t just be two 6th graders being road schooled – clearly Kyle and I will be learning too.

Is It a Mid-Life Crisis?

Reactions to our trip among friends, family and colleagues have been mixed.  We are fortunate that we have a wonderfully supportive extended family.  Thus hints of disapproval are subtly displayed…perhaps in a nervous smile or quizzical look.  I read through the lines concern for the kids – one of whom particularly does not adapt well to change.

In the end, there are many reasons NOT to take this trip…just a few:

  • Work
  • School
  • Aging Family Members
  • Beloved Dog
  • Newly Remodeled House
  • Money
  • Fear

What’s helped propel me forward?  Knowing that I have yet to read of a family who has done this who hasn’t said it was the most amazing family experience.  My kids live a blessed life – they are loved and they want for not.  I’d like to show them a world without shopping trips to the mall (I will be secretly thrilled to never have to enter another Justice store again!), the quest for the next video game system, and pleas to go to Menchie’s.

And it’s not as if Kyle and I aren’t immune from the accumulation of stuff – we are just as guilty.  Case in point, Michael Kors shoes that I’ve worn only once because they nearly crippled me.

ouch

ouch

One of my siblings spent last year teaching in South Korea and he took this picture while traveling in Vietnam.  Ahhh, perspective.

Abe in Vietnam

Abe in Vietnam

This is not a mid-life crisis.  It’s personal evolution.