DJ-RTW's Travel Blog

Day 1-- Time to relax and unwind - Palm Springs, California

 This place was Great visited Apr 1, 2006

Wow, it's hard to believe that after years of thinking and planning, months of activity and the final few weeks of hectic tasks, we're here. The next few days are to be spent doing nothing -- soaking in the sun, playing in the pool and generally unwinding. Tuesday (4/4) we'll drive down to Calexico to cross in to Mexico and start the non-U.S. part of our journey.

posted Apr 2, 2006 | Comments (2)

Third, you quit your job - Rosemead, California

 This place was Great visited Mar 20, 2006

Even though I still have two more weeks of work left, my friends at SCE gave me a bon voyage party today. It was fun, complete with gifts (pith helmet?!) and an incredible cake (huge, chocolate with a globe on it). Plus, they wrote limericks for us: There once was an exploress named Doris, Who dreamt of traveling 'cross sea, land and forest. Jacob agreed, So their jobs they fleed And moved onward to Paris and Buenos Aires! There once was a Jacob named Frank, Who took all his funds from the bank. He sold off his house And took off with his spouse. Now his boss feels like walking the plank. We wish we could make you two stay. We'd make chocolate cheesecake each day. Since you're determined to go, We hope that you know You'll be in our thoughts every day.

posted Mar 26, 2006 | Comments (0)

Second, you sell your house.... - Glendale, California

 This place was Great visited Feb 19, 2006

Thanks to the insane real estate market in Southern California, we sold our house in less than a week at more than asking price. After five years of living in Glendale, CA, we are leaving to travel the world! Hard to believe that we are now at that point in our plans. Only 6 weeks to go until D (departure) day!

posted Feb 20, 2006 | Comments (0)

First, you quit your job.... - Los Angeles, California

 This place was Great visited Feb 3, 2006

After four years at the University of Southern California (USC), I worked my last day on Friday, February 3, 2006. I am now officially retired and, unofficially, the full-time world trip planner and seller of everything we own. Jacob still has two months of work before he retires. The house will go on the market (http://www.character-homes.com/listing245.html), then we hold an estate sale, then sell the car(s), and then leave for the first part of our trip: Baja California and Northern Mexico. Departure date: April1 2006 (April Fool's Day).

posted Feb 20, 2006 | Comments (0)

Last Holidays in USA - Los Angeles, California

 This place was Great visited Dec 25, 2005

Click here to view with our classic map As our last Christmas and Chanukah in North America, we begin to imagine what future December 25ths are going to be like. We'll likely be in Central America or the Caribbean for Christmas 2006 and in China for Christmas 2007. In preparation for the world trek, we are keeping gift giving at a minimum. All gifts are travel related and will come with us. Friends and family jokingly complain that we are making things very hard for them in the gift-shopping department. On the other hand, we are having fun giving away sentimental objects we've collected that we can't keep but don't want to sell. That will make it a bit easier when we hold an 'estate sale' at the house to clear out as much stuff as we can and make a few dollars to help fund the trip. Since we don't know where we will settle after the two-year trip and we don't want to pay huge shipping fees to wherever we land (likely Costa Rica or South Pacific), we'll be getting rid of almost everything we own. That in itself is very liberating and has made this year's holidays the least frantic since childhood. Only three months, one week before we leave (assuming the house sells quickly!).

posted Feb 20, 2006 | Comments (0)