And so it begins!

And so it begins a new blog which starts with a coordinating conjunction (just looked it up), our grammar always questionable at best, but so is this journey.  To travel or not to travel.  Are we really doing this?  What about school? Responsibilities?  How much time can we really take off? It's going to cost how much?  Can we afford to?  With each nagging concern, time racing by, and kids growing older the truth becomes self evident.  Can we afford not to?

We have dreamed of this for years.  Going away, far far away.  New sights and sounds and smells.  But reality has a way of holding you tight all the while the clock keeps ticking.  Then one day folly or wisdom sets in, which of the two it is depends on whom you are speaking with, and you decide you are doing this.  Low and behold Miracle of miracles.   You do.



We read blogs of some amazing journeys, some take months and some take years, People packing or selling all their possessions and hitting the road.  Although alluring, this lifestyle is not for us.  We have too many people holding us back but in a good way. Besides this, frankly speaking, visiting new places and experiencing new things is also about helping you appreciate  home and what awaits you back there.  So our trips might be farther in between and for shorter times, but magical all the same.  Just that every second has to be made to count because sometimes it feels like they are too few.

Our vacation window is often a conflicting one being narrowed by work and kids school.  Luck having it, they never seems to align.  This year school vacation meant having family from overseas coming for a visit.  Not being with them was never an option so that window closed leaving us with 2 months of low season where vacation from work could still be had.

I spent my evenings dreaming  by scouring through travel blogs and checking airfares on matrix dot com. Then one night after months of more serious talk, the Queen said lets really do this.  And just that easily, with a snap of her magic wand and two thumbs up.  The dreaming became the planning.  The only problem was that with our window closing fast, and ticket prices going up as dates got closer, we were running out of time to make this happen.

First things first, school.  Taking your child out of school for a month is not something to be done lightly especially since we took our son out of school only 2 weeks prior for en entire week to take a trip into the amazon region to visit cousins whom had arrived from the States.

Crossing the Rio Mamore Beni, Bolivia

So with my tail between my legs I organized a visit to the schools director and told her of our plans and fears.  To her merit and my surprise she said that opportunities like this should not be missed and after talking to the teachers thought that our son could do this and still pass the year.

Thailand/Cambodia...HERE WE COME!!!!

(oh no)