Well all the clothes and toiletries fit in the backpack. Just a few little random things to find places for and we’re good!
It fits!!
Things that are making me…
…say “OMG! We’re backpackers now!”…
1) having only a car key on my key chain
2) Rick asks “hey, did you bring that thing with you?” when we realize the answer’s “Yes” because we’re driving car that contains EVERYTHING we have left in it
…shed more than a few tears…
1) Leaving my second family yesterday at Brinker/Chili’s. And my extended second family at Hill Holiday, IMM, TMA and MindHandle. I’ll miss you all more than words can say
2) Dropping off Ruger at his “vacation home” with the amazing Roseana and Francis
So that’s what a years worth of clothing looks like!
…and it’s fitting into a backpack. Here goes nothing!!
Here’s the current packing list – since I’ve gotten that question a few times. I’m about to try and get it all in the bag, so stayed tuned for what cuts have to be made
It’s gettin real!
Leaving Dallas to take all our possessions we have left to Kentucky!
10:18 pm …. I’m betting on 15 hour drive with the Uhaul towing a truck. We’ll keep ya posted!
Ok… Update, we’ve maxed out at 50 MPH so it may be more like 18 hours? Just a warm up to get us used to “slow travel”
One Way Ticket to Kathmandu!
If you’ve gotten here then you probably know that Rick and I are about to head out on an adventure! We are leaving for (what we think will be) about a year to explore the world, experience different cultures, and serve God’s people wherever we can.
That’s right, we’ve quit our jobs, sold our house, gotten rid of most of our possessions.
We have a one-way ticket to Kathmandu.
Well, that’s the first stop at least. Check out the map to see our rough plan and the countries we hope to hit, but who knows it could all change as we explore along the way.
We know God has created this path for us and we’re excited to serve doing mission work along the way in different countries. We have one specifically planned out – that’s Seed Effect – a microfinance ministry we have supported for the last six years or so. Read more here about our personal connection to Seed Effect, what we are doing with Seed Effect, and how to help us get there. We have contacts for other opportunities to serve along the way that we’ll solidify as we get closer to those places (and we are still looking for more contacts, so please let us know if you have any)
When we really started thinking seriously about the possibility of doing this, we set up “pillars” for the trip – the things that if we didn’t get to them we would come back from the trip disappointed. Turns out it’s a big world and there’s a lot we wanted to do – so we had to prioritize! Among all of these we know we want to volunteer, travel locally/authentically to really gain an understanding of the culture, and enjoy the outdoors.
Drumroll… here’s our list:
- Visit and serve with Seed Effect in South Sudan (Rick & Liz)
- Hiking and trekking in Patagonia (Rick & Liz)
- Spend around 6 months in South America (Rick & Liz)
- Become fluent in Spanish (Liz)
- Hiking and trekking in the Himalayas (Rick)
- Experience the culture and volunteer in India and countries in Southeast Asia (Liz)
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We definitely want to stay in touch along the way, so please fill out the contact info and we'll put you on the list to get occasional updates
…check back tomorrow for a post on why we're going…