Getting Ready to Leave Seattle

We are getting ready to leave Seattle. Alisa gave her two-weeks notice to the Pacific Science Center a week ago. For about a month now, my last day at Stone Gardens has been June 27th. Furthermore, we have been selling, cleaning and packing. With all of the exact planning we've been doing, I feel as though we're prisoners at this point, plotting our escape with our lives on the line of each detail. We've been quietly scraping a hole from our cell and carrying the dirt outside to drop it when noone is looking. Of course, this is not so.

It isn't until you have to sell everything and pack into a small car such as a Honda Accord that you realize just how many belongings you have acquired. We have given away Alisa's old hampster cage, where Scampers the hampster used to climb upside-down on the roof's wires. We have given away all of our pots and plants, including our dead basil plant that served us oh-so-well. We have sold a picture of the NY Chrysler building, a large work desk, and are currently negotiating on a large couch, futon, two chairs, two matching lamps, a fan, and a coffee table. My, how many things we have and can no longer use! P.S., if you would like any of the remaining pieces, please contact us A.S.A.P.!

At least cleaning is straightforward!

Planning, on the other hand, can be a nightmare! There are so many options and it can be difficult to decide where to stop and where to stay and what to eat, especially when considering more than one person's tastes. Luckily, Alisa and I have decided to use the savvy tactics of divide and conquer in order to ensure happiness on both sides of the round table. That is, I have North America and Alisa has South America.

Our North American portion of The Big Trip consists of friends, family, small towns, and big climbs. I have tried to keep the driving done during any one day below 10 hours and if possible, less than 8. Before we leave I will write down directions for each day of travel, the time it will take to get from one point B to another (Once you leave, you are gone from point A), and where we will tent up! As a general note, if you are in, on, or nearby any of our destinations, or have important or interesting information about, of, or pertaining to any of our destinations, please contact us and let us know!

Our South American portion of The Big Trip consists of small towns, big cities, fresh fruits and vegetables, indigenous tribes, mountains and lakes. An added dimension to our travels and planning stems from our methods of movement being via ferries, buses, foot, and so on. We not only have to plan what places we're going to, but how we're getting from one place to the next. If you have any sites to see or recommendations of any sort for places anywhere from Panama City to Patagonia, please contact us and we will look into it!

There are a few more things to do before we leave Seattle besides trip planning and preparation. There is fun to be had! A few good trips, fun with friends, last eat out, and goodbyes.

Why, just yesterday I went out to Gold Bar with Sam "Sammy Boy" Johnson where we thought we put up a FA of "I'm Your Lucky Charm" V5 after hiking a week's worth of hiking. Really, though, a friend of a friend of mine put the problem up a long time ago! I think we hiked about 6 miles that day, with huge crash pads, water, food, and 50lb weights strapped to our ankles. I can't believe Sam had to both practice for the Olympics that night and perform open heart microsurgery without a team for an audience of world-renowned surgeons and students at Seattle Clinic. I hope it all went well! I know I'm tired!

Next weekend is another trip to Squamish! And then...

Just two more weeks!