Technology is great...

Huawei Mobile Hotspot - MiFi

One of the things I like about technology is when it works.  There is nothing better than technology that works.  Last week I picked up a MiFi device, the last piece in our technology arsenal for this trip.

A MiFi talks cellular data on one side and WiFi on the other.  The other day while Elaine was driving on the freeway I was online and working on my laptop using the MiFi.  Isn't that amazing?!?  We were going 65 miles per hour on a freeway and I had speedy Internet access.  On another occasion we needed to research hotels so we pulled into a parking lot, fired up the MiFi and laptops and had a reservation in a matter of minutes.  Isn't technology great?

There were a few other times, however, while driving through a valley or remote area that the MiFi became unusable.  I can easily overlook this shortcoming of the cellular networks because the technology is just so cool when it DOES work.

Of course, MiFi access isn't free and we won't use it when free WiFi is available but it is definitely good to have as an option.

Away we go!

Wow! After the crazy and hectic pace of the last few weeks we are on our way.  This is a family picture on our last Sunday in Utah.  We left shortly after this picture was taken (and after changing our clothes).  It is hard to believe that we are on our way but it feels good.  We've assembled and packed most of the gear we'll need for the next 11 months.  We've sold, given away, or trashed everything we don't need.  We've packed and/or stored the rest.  With much help from family and friends we've cleaned our house.  According to our kids the house is the cleanest it has been in years.

Especially in the last few days before we left people asked, "Are you excited?"  My honest response was, "I feel no emotion except stress."  Now that we are past that and actually on our way I am starting to feel the excitement.  I feel anticipation.  I feel a little anxiety.  I am pleased with my family that we have worked together to get this far.  I feel large amounts of gratitude for many reasons, not the least of which is the great support we feel from family and friends.  I feel some sense of simplicity due to the fact that we have less stuff at the moment.  I have also become unhappily aware that the clock is ticking on our adventure and that each day that passes brings us closer to the other end.  We'll have to enjoy each day as it happens.

Thank you to everyone for the love and support in helping us get to this point!

Garbage bags rip

While cleaning and organizing for our trip one of the children had the assignment to help throw away a bunch of trash and then haul the garbage bag out to the garbage can.  He was tired and was resisting everything that morning.

Eventually the trash bag was full and he dragged it from the basement, up and out to the garbage can.  Elaine and I both mentioned separately that it would be better if he didn't drag the bag.  He resisted these suggestions and continued dragging the bag.

Later, I found a trail of trash going from the front door to the garbage can.  It puzzled me at first but then I remembered seeing the plastic trash bag being dragged across the tile and cement.  The trail of trash led to the torn garbage bag.

My son didn't deny that the bag had torn while he dragged it.  He and I worked together to re-bag the trash.  Some times when we resist doing what's right or in the right way we make a bigger mess.  I hope he learned that.

Liberation by Elimination

As a by-product of preparing for an around-the-world trip we have been reducing and simplifying our lives.  In the last ten days we have sold or moved to storage most of our earthly possessions.  One of the boys came in to our bedroom this morning and said, "Your bedroom echoes."  Yes, it is that empty.  I'm sitting on the floor typing this.  We have our family computer on a card table.  We eat on folding metal chairs.  We have friends over to watch soccer on TV tonight (go RSL!) and we have one chair.

But you know what?  I don't miss the things.  I don't miss our headboard.  It hurts my neck when I lean against it and try to read.  I don't miss our footboard.  It hurts when I bump my shins into it.  I usually do that once a year.  I don't miss our bed frame.  It squeaks and creaks every time we roll over.  I don't miss the big dresser.  It only holds things I use once a year and collects junk the rest of the year.  All of the big pieces of furniture are gone.  The house is alarmingly empty.  I guess this is our unplanned way of easing into the "life of the hobo."

This morning I told Elaine that I liked the feeling of not having so much stuff and hoped we could live like this, with less when we return from our trip.  I wasn't sure how she would react.  I was surprised when she agreed with me enthusiastically.  The feeling is hard to describe but we both feel it.  It is kind of like being released or liberated from an obligation.  We had drawers and felt obligated to fill them.  We had a bed and felt obligated to have a head board and a foot board.  Without so many things I feel liberated.  I don't have to take care of these things any longer because they don't consume any space or place in my life.  Of course, some options in life are now somewhat limited because we have fewer things and I'm totally OK with it.  I am liberated to fill my life with other things and people that matter more.  We have made conscious decisions what to keep and allow into our lives.  Maybe that's the secret:  consciously deciding what to keep and allow into our lives.

Whether you are traveling around the world or not I think everyone could enjoy the feeling of liberation and freedom that comes from eliminating things you really don't need and consciously considering what to keep and allow in your life.

Immunizations

This is  my first blog post about our trip so I am kind of figuring this out. Anyway, today we got our immunizations :(.  We waited for about an hour at the health dept. place.  I got 3 shots and now my arms are sore. Joe got the most with 5 shots! Now we are one step closer to leaving and we are having a yard sale this Saturday. It seems like we are working non-stop to get ready for the trip.

Around the World With Technology

One of my jobs on our trip is to be the IT guy.  Here is what I've put together for us so far:

• 3 laptops:  2 for family and 1 for me.  For the family I picked up 2 laptops from Costco that are at least as good as our home computer.  Quality-wise they are one step above netbooks.  They will be used for research, banking, blogging, and school.  For me I picked up a Macbook Air to use for my work.  It is a quality system and will serve me well.
• 2 iPads.  We already had two entry-level iPads.  They will be good for entertainment and research.
• 3 Kindle Fires.  The boys each already have a Kindle Fire.  I anticipate them being used for entertainment purposes on our long travel days.
• 1 x 1.5TB USB hard drive.  We will use this for our long-term storage for everything digital that we generate and consume during our trip:  movies, music, pictures, school materials, etc.
• For those times when our lodging does not provide adequate Internet access we will have a MiFi mobile hotspot device.  Essentially it talks to the cellular network on one side and WiFi on the other.  We'll get a country-specific data-only SIM where ever we are and rely on the quality of the local cellular networks to get us through.

Why oh why?

When someone finds out we are going on  a trip around the world, the question of why is very soon a part of the conversation.  Although we love to travel as a family, we haven't always dreamed of taking a trip around the world.  Let me explain how the the whole idea kind of evolved to its present form.

A little over a year ago Rich got a new job where he works from home.  We did not have a home office, so we combined a couple of kids into the same bedroom to make room for an office.  Our house was packed with stuff and our kids were not getting any smaller so we figured it was time to move to a bigger house.  We started the search  and put offers on a few homes, but for various reasons nothing worked out.   We finally found another house we liked and our offer was accepted, but then one thing after another delayed the process and with each delay we were less certain about the house.

During this time, we hosted a Japanese foreign exchange student and had a great time with him learning about his culture and sharing ours with him.  We took him to Arches National Park and while there I talked with a few couples who were traveling around the U.S.  I mentioned to one of them that I would like to do something like that one day, but it would have to be years in the future.  She looked at me and said, “do it sooner, than later.”  I laughed and reminded her that we have 4 school aged children so extended travel would have to wait.  She once again told me to “do it sooner, than later.”

As I was taking a turn driving home later that night I started thinking about what she had said, and thought about how much fun we have as a family when we travel, and our family in general.  Our life was so hectic with soccer, piano, scouts, dance, swim, running and all the other activities we were involved in.  We had been trying to scale back our busy life without much success.  That's when I realized that maybe travel could be the answer we were looking for and we could do it “sooner.”   I remember planning it out in my head and then asking Rich if he could have an open mind while I ran an idea past him.  We would buy an RV and travel around the United States, home school the kids, Rich could still work, and then we would fly to the Philipinnes to visit my parents.  Over the next few weeks, one idea led to another until we came up with the trip around the world.  Rich talked to his employer who supported the idea, we fasted and prayed about it and both felt good about our decesion.  So we withdrew our offer on the bigger house and decided that we will live in small spaces with little possessions for a year!  What a change in direction we have made, but it feels like the right thing to do with our family at this point in our life.