May 20, 2006- Gotta Rush Away

"One way or another
I'm just hoping to find a way
To put my feet out in the world"

-Adam Duritz

Welcome to the first post of our blog. I was trying to think of something of interest to write and then last night we hosted a small going away party and I kept having to answer the same sort of questions from a myriad of people that were remarkably similar. So I figured what better way to start off than by attempting to address the queries that many people have when you tell them that you are taking 3 or 4 months off and driving about the country. The first is usually, "Where are you going?" - Well we only have a sort of skeleton out-line based on where when know we have to be at certain times.

We are leaving Key West and driving to Indianapolis initially because we are going to the Indianapolis 500 on memorial day weekend. After that we will head for the East Coast, to Marshfield, MA where we will be dropping off our dog India for her stay at summer camp (ie Kathy's father's house). We plan to use Marshfield as a base to explore the Northeast, before venturing south towards Philly, Baltimore, DC and into the Carolinas. After that the plan is to head into the deep south, Alabama, Mississippi, New Orleans,etc. From there it will all depend on how much time we have used. We have to be in Colorado in August to attend the Folks Fest, so how far west we go all depends upon our rate of travel. The main point is to enjoy the journey, rather than try to rush to as many places as possible. The next question is usually,"What about your jobs?" - Well Kathy teaches preschool so her schedule is somewhat open in the summer. I recently left my job at Reef Relief where I had worked for more than 10 years which opened up the possibility of taking an extended vacation.

Many people asked, "What are you driving?" As you can see, we will be taking our flower-painted Honda CRV. The paint job is the work of Key West artist Rick Worth. It may get cramped at times, but we hope not too bad, we plan to travel lightly. Another popular query asked, "How can you afford the trip?" Well we plan to travel as economically as possible. We look to camp often, to stay with family or friends when possible. All those people who visited us in Key West and offered, "If you ever make it to (your city here)..." Well guess what- here we come. Gas prices are a concern, but hey you only live once....

Lastly, many people asked simply, "Why?"...or, "What do you hope to get out of this?"
These questions are really questions more about who we are than why we may be taking some trip. I can think of flip answers like, "Because we can" or superficial ones like, "We love to travel"...But the fact is the matter is that by experiencing new places, new people and new experiences you can open yourself up for some real introspection and insight into who you are in a way not possible in the rigors of day to day life. If you've read this far, we invite you to join us and follow along as we put our feet out in the world.