We're in Zurich -- For Another Hour, or Two, or Three...

Brenna, blogging in the Zurich airport.It's official, we're blogging from Europe! We've said goodbye to the US for a year (or so), hopped the plane, and after a long and blissfully uneventful overnight flight, we're in the Zurich airport tapping into the high speed wireless. We're waiting for our flight to Belgrade, which has been delayed a bit, and then a bit again. The kids are trouping along, and except for a few sharp words going through security (Owen just has NO security antenna), everybody is pretty happy. Ella wants to getElla has picked out several Swatches she wants. some M&M's for 2.90 Swiss Francs, but we've got only dollars right now, so sad girl has to make due with the box of Sees Candy that Brenna brought. Yes - Brenna is sitting in Switzerland eating a box of chocolates from California. Along with her first cup of coffee - in a paper cup from an airport kiosk.  If all coffee at airports in Europe is like this she may not come back.

More soon about sad goodbyes, last-minute freak-outs, and the final days of prep.

Getting Better All The Time (better better be-tter)

Goodbye House!!The house keys are turned in, the storage pods and the dumpster are gone, the cars are sold, and we have now officially added tremendously to Salvation Army's bottom line for the year. We're in San Francisco with family for a few days, then back to LA for a 24 hour goodbye and re-pack whirlwind, and then we board the plane. Voila! Life changed! Easy as pie!

I slept 9 hours last night. That's more than the cumulative of the last week put together. I was actually able to forget about the relentless prep for a bit yesterday, and have a carefree glass of slightly-warm wine at an Italian street festival we went to with my Dad.  Brenna, her Dad and Eleanor in San Rafael, CA

We're having fun doing all our "lasts". We went to our favorite little Teriyaki Me! for dinner the night before we left. And Foster's Freeze (don't tell the kids - they weren't there for the coke floats).  I bought Cap'n Crunch yesterday at the grocery store.  Owen is the happiest kid this morning! 

Little Motorboat (our cat) is adjusting really well to her new temporary home. For the next three weeks she'll be in San Fran, in a house with 2 dogs and another cat. The dogs could care less, and the other cat has taken to the hills -- our cat has pretty much taken over. In three weeks time she'll go back to Los Angeles, to live for the year with Uncle Paul, who rescued her in the first place.Little Motorboat in our ridiculousy pink chair

I was talking to my sister in Atlanta yesterday, and she said "So - less than a week now. You leave on Monday!" and I had a little bit of a freak-out right there in the post office. Less than a week?!

I said to Bob "We leave in less than a week?!", and then I said "I thought we left on Tuesday!" 

"We do leave on Tuesday" he said.

"The 22nd is Monday" My sister is laughing by this point. So, but for my sister we might have been hanging around our next crashing pad, waiting for Tuesday to come. We're so good at this travel thing! We're going to be awesome! 

PS. We leased a car, AND booked a flight from Serbia to Germany (to pick up the car) yesterday. Now we have the first three months planned.  With 5 whole days to spare!

Live! Live! Live! Podcast Interview (well... now it's recorded)

We had our first ever live interview via podcast yesterday morning at GSPN.TV -- Generally Speaking Production Network.  Cliff and Stephanie Ravenscraft have been talking (on air) about taking some time off and traveling with their children, and one of their listeners told them about us.  I don't know if they're now more, or less, likely to jump off the deep end after our conversation, but it was fun. 

Cliff left the security of his job in insurance a year and a half ago to make the leap into full-time podcasting and new media consulting.  It's pretty inspiring, and exactly the kind of Uncertainty seekers that Bob and I love to find. Maybe we'll interview them back soon to get their story.

Listen to the podcast here if you like.  It's 060 Family From The Heart - From Here To Uncertainty and runs about an hour.

I Knew I Shoulda Been A Lawyer

Here's an article in the New York Times today about a law firm who is paying their employees $80,000 to take a year off work, and a woman who is using the year, and the money, to travel around the world.  The law firm says they're quite surprised at how many people decided to take their offer.  

In unrelated news - Here's an article on how to buy a Harvard Law degree by mail for $58.00.  Just in case you've ever a need for one...

We bid Farewell to the Great Haiku

We bid you Fairwell

Haiku Garage Giveaway

Thanks to the poets!