Geekery ensues

We’re only two weeks from flying out and I can hardly contain my excitement. We’ve given our resignation letters to our employers, contacted our credit card companies, and we’ve moved almost everything out of our apartment. So close! The only thing that helps with the waiting are the cool things we get to do on the weekend. For example: this weekend we went to Starfest 2012, which was pretty much the geekiest thing to do in Denver. Our good friend Lauren came out from Austin with her new boyfriend Stephen and we had an awesome time walking around in spandex and taking tons of photos.  Check out some below:

Lauren and Stephen suiting up

The science of packing

We're now less than a month from leaving.  Over the course of the last several months, I've managed to pack what I hope is everything necessary for this trip.  I'm sure there's something I forgot, but I plan to return to this post either during the trip or at the end, and evaluate what was useful and what was a waste, hopefully as a resource for others who wish to take a similar journey.  I'm taking two bags on this trip, the main one being a DaKine Heli Pro pack that I've owned for years, and has held up well through numerous backcountry ski trips, including some small slides, and tumbling off cliffs.  The other pack I'm taking is a small sling bag I picked up from an army surplus store, perfect for day trips when I don't want to carry my large bag.  I pulled everything out of my packs to give an idea of how much can fit in them.

This month is going to go really slow.

It’s almost here.  Every day that thought echoes even louder through my subconscious.  The day we get on a plane and leave the country for unknown adventures.  There have been many days when it seemed like it would never get here, but now with a month left, I find myself constantly remembering some small detail that I either forgot or suddenly decided was vitally important to take care of before it’s too late.  Inevitably, there will be some things that I will forget.  Whatever they are, once we’re out there I doubt they will seem to matter as much. 

When we got engaged in June 2011, we laid out a simple plan that we would get married in December, and within a year, quit our jobs and travel.  At the time some people questioned our sanity, while most questioned our resolve to see it through.  We had good jobs and lived downtown in a great city, why would we give that up?  We had no real answer beyond the belief that there has to be more to life than earning money and getting saddled with car and house payments. 

While we initially focused on budgeting for our pending nuptials (which we managed to pay for completely on our own), there was always the concern in the back of our minds about saving enough money to make this trip work.  In the fall we began selling off our possessions: the extra car, the motorcycle, almost all of our recreational equipment such as skis, etc.  To save on gas, we rarely drove anywhere unless it was absolutely necessary (and still do; its good practice for our upcoming travels).