Alright, we are definitely going traveling!
With this revelation, many questions quickly arose. What do we do about our jobs? What do we bring with us on such an adventure? And, what on earth do with all of the stuff we have now?
Step 1:
Give notice.
We both worked for organizations that we deeply care about. Deciding to leave the country for an extended period of time was not an easy thing to do (well, deciding to go travel wasn't actually that difficult, but actually leaving was). The amount of time that we envisioned ourselves traveling for exceeded any amount of time one might ask for on an "extended" leave, so this meant resignation (or for Krispin, his second "retirement"). Leaving meant saying goodbye to coworkers and friends whom we have counted on and who have counted on us. Leaving meant making tough decisions about which projects could be left undone and which were priorities to finish. Leaving meant worrying about finding replacements and training new employees.
Ultimately, we realized that no matter how long we stayed, we would never get it all done. There would be unfinished tasks at work. We could not possibly teach a new employee everything there is to know. We learned that in order to actually leave, we needed to set a firm end date, work extra hard to get as much done as possible, and then...try to let go. For Krispin, the goal was installing a backup fiber optic cable for the network prior to leaving. For Claire, it was getting the health center through the second Covered California Open Enrollment period and remaining on the schedule with the ambulance for as long as possible. Both of us had new employees to train as well. Krispin "officially" finished working for De Novo Group about two weeks before our departure, at the same time that Claire was wrapping up with Redwood Coast Medical Services. Claire worked for Coast Life Support District until the last few days before departure, since her shifts there were more flexible and the crew was already a bit short-staffed.
In the end, there were hesitations, a few loose ends, and likely numerous unanswered questions, but both of us were able to walk away feeling like we given our best efforts. Leaving can be a difficult and uneasy process, but we were lucky to have an exciting adventure waiting just behind the next door to help reassure ourselves.
Step 2:
Let the Amazon marathon begin!
No, we are not talking about some race through the jungle... We are referring to the monstrous online one-stop shop where one can order almost anything they might need, plus, have it arrive in a jiffy! We both spent countless hours pouring over the specs of each and every item we might bring. Backpacks, clothing, electronics, and more. Of course, we would have preferred to buy locally for many reasons, but anyone who is familiar with where we lived knows how limited any sort of shopping is there!
We could certainly write an entire post on what we decided to take and why (and maybe we will at some point). For now, our 40L bags are jam-packed, and we hope that we have chosen the right gear! Time will tell...
To give you a sneak preview, here are some of our favorite purchases:
- Black Diamond headlamps - many neat features, but the best is that they are USB rechargeable!
- A GoPro video camera (We have realized this is many other tourists' favorite gizmo as well. For example, in Hawai'i, nearly every 4th person donned one on a selfie stick. We are not at all sure we like being a part of the trend.... but they do take great footage and are very packable!)
- Osprey FarPoint 40L pack for Claire (actually purchased used, on eBay)
- Eagle Creek compressible packing cubes
- Steripen Ultra for easy water sterilizaiton. Again, USB rechargeable!
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In addition to purchasing items for our travel, we also acquired a fair amount of the necessities (almost 1/2 of our clothing!) through an app called Yerdle. The premise of Yerdle is that you give away items you no longer use for a certain amount of "credits." In turn, you can use your credits to get things you need from other people. Claire had been using the app for the past year to get rid of many of her belongings and became a "ProYerdler" (seriously!...), so she was able to snag some high-quality items such as Patagonia, Smartwool, and North Face garments for the trip. Despite Claire's long-term decluttering effots, it's amazing what comes out from hiding when you have to move your entire household...
Part 3:
Purge our belongings.
Like most people, we have too much stuff. At some point, the sheer volume of our stuff started owning and controlling us, instead of the other way around. So, one box at a time, we shifted the balance. The most frequented recipient of our donations was Pay N' Take; a fundraising operation that helps local seniors in the South Coast area of Mendocino County. Their model is this: residents donate household items, and volunteers sort, organize, and sell the goods during a monthly rummage sale at rock-bottom prices. The proceeds are all donated, and the sale has become so popular that people consistently line up outside the doors before it opens!
Although Pay N' Take is wonderful, they could not help us with our most "troubling" possessions-- our vehicles. Never fear, Craigslist is near! Krispin posted an advertisement for his '02 Nissan Frontier and, within 24 hours, had over a dozen inquiries from as far way as Redding (a five-hour drive)! Krispin's truck was sold to the first person he showed it to, a local from Gualala. Claire posted an ad for her '09 Kia Spectra as well....but sadly, found little interest locally. After some waiting, a price drop, and a good deal of nail-biting, Claire's car (formerly "Ronnie") went to a university student from Sacramento who was ecstatic to get her and has since named her "Beatrice."
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We were both able to keep our cars until our employment had ended and within about a week of our final departure date. However, not having transportation during the heavy moving days is a wee bit problematic. Luckily for us, Krispin's good friend, Jasper, loaned us his Mini Cooper for our last few days. From then on, the trips to Pay N' Take were literally "mini" size. Thank you, Jasper!
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With this revelation, many questions quickly arose. What do we do about our jobs? What do we bring with us on such an adventure? And, what on earth do with all of the stuff we have now?
Step 1:
Give notice.
We both worked for organizations that we deeply care about. Deciding to leave the country for an extended period of time was not an easy thing to do (well, deciding to go travel wasn't actually that difficult, but actually leaving was). The amount of time that we envisioned ourselves traveling for exceeded any amount of time one might ask for on an "extended" leave, so this meant resignation (or for Krispin, his second "retirement"). Leaving meant saying goodbye to coworkers and friends whom we have counted on and who have counted on us. Leaving meant making tough decisions about which projects could be left undone and which were priorities to finish. Leaving meant worrying about finding replacements and training new employees.
Ultimately, we realized that no matter how long we stayed, we would never get it all done. There would be unfinished tasks at work. We could not possibly teach a new employee everything there is to know. We learned that in order to actually leave, we needed to set a firm end date, work extra hard to get as much done as possible, and then...try to let go. For Krispin, the goal was installing a backup fiber optic cable for the network prior to leaving. For Claire, it was getting the health center through the second Covered California Open Enrollment period and remaining on the schedule with the ambulance for as long as possible. Both of us had new employees to train as well. Krispin "officially" finished working for De Novo Group about two weeks before our departure, at the same time that Claire was wrapping up with Redwood Coast Medical Services. Claire worked for Coast Life Support District until the last few days before departure, since her shifts there were more flexible and the crew was already a bit short-staffed.
In the end, there were hesitations, a few loose ends, and likely numerous unanswered questions, but both of us were able to walk away feeling like we given our best efforts. Leaving can be a difficult and uneasy process, but we were lucky to have an exciting adventure waiting just behind the next door to help reassure ourselves.
Step 2:
Let the Amazon marathon begin!
No, we are not talking about some race through the jungle... We are referring to the monstrous online one-stop shop where one can order almost anything they might need, plus, have it arrive in a jiffy! We both spent countless hours pouring over the specs of each and every item we might bring. Backpacks, clothing, electronics, and more. Of course, we would have preferred to buy locally for many reasons, but anyone who is familiar with where we lived knows how limited any sort of shopping is there!
We could certainly write an entire post on what we decided to take and why (and maybe we will at some point). For now, our 40L bags are jam-packed, and we hope that we have chosen the right gear! Time will tell...
To give you a sneak preview, here are some of our favorite purchases:
- Black Diamond headlamps - many neat features, but the best is that they are USB rechargeable!
- A GoPro video camera (We have realized this is many other tourists' favorite gizmo as well. For example, in Hawai'i, nearly every 4th person donned one on a selfie stick. We are not at all sure we like being a part of the trend.... but they do take great footage and are very packable!)
- Osprey FarPoint 40L pack for Claire (actually purchased used, on eBay)
- Eagle Creek compressible packing cubes
- Steripen Ultra for easy water sterilizaiton. Again, USB rechargeable!
The contents of Claire's bag.
In addition to purchasing items for our travel, we also acquired a fair amount of the necessities (almost 1/2 of our clothing!) through an app called Yerdle. The premise of Yerdle is that you give away items you no longer use for a certain amount of "credits." In turn, you can use your credits to get things you need from other people. Claire had been using the app for the past year to get rid of many of her belongings and became a "ProYerdler" (seriously!...), so she was able to snag some high-quality items such as Patagonia, Smartwool, and North Face garments for the trip. Despite Claire's long-term decluttering effots, it's amazing what comes out from hiding when you have to move your entire household...
Part 3:
Purge our belongings.
Like most people, we have too much stuff. At some point, the sheer volume of our stuff started owning and controlling us, instead of the other way around. So, one box at a time, we shifted the balance. The most frequented recipient of our donations was Pay N' Take; a fundraising operation that helps local seniors in the South Coast area of Mendocino County. Their model is this: residents donate household items, and volunteers sort, organize, and sell the goods during a monthly rummage sale at rock-bottom prices. The proceeds are all donated, and the sale has become so popular that people consistently line up outside the doors before it opens!
Although Pay N' Take is wonderful, they could not help us with our most "troubling" possessions-- our vehicles. Never fear, Craigslist is near! Krispin posted an advertisement for his '02 Nissan Frontier and, within 24 hours, had over a dozen inquiries from as far way as Redding (a five-hour drive)! Krispin's truck was sold to the first person he showed it to, a local from Gualala. Claire posted an ad for her '09 Kia Spectra as well....but sadly, found little interest locally. After some waiting, a price drop, and a good deal of nail-biting, Claire's car (formerly "Ronnie") went to a university student from Sacramento who was ecstatic to get her and has since named her "Beatrice."
A photo from Claire's last cruise with Ronnie on Hwy 1, on their way to meet Ronnie's new owner. Ironically, Claire and Ronnie got their first speeding ticket together about 5 minutes after this photo was taken......
Here is Jasper's trusty Mini, ready to haul our final mini-load from our little Anchor Bay house. It includes the last of the items going into storage and Claire's traveling backpack in the front seat! Oops, where will Krispin fit?
And, of course, we had our wonderful families and friends to help make this all happen, and make it much more joyful! Krispin's family members came to visit, helped us move, cleared out our cupboards, provided us with storage space, hosted going-away dinners, and got us to our plane! Claire's parents flew 3000 miles to California from Vermont to spend time with us, and her brother and sister-in-law drove all the way from Colorado (also marking their first visit to see Claire in CA - she was thrilled)!
The plan was to have one big going-away party, but...just one party would never do! In the end, there were numerous. The first was a good-sized gathering at a public park where many friends and family came with LOTS of food to catch-up, eat, and bid farewell. Claire's co-workers at both the ambulance and the clinic gave her warm send-offs with food, many hugs, and a few tears. Unfortunately, (yet not surprisingly) Claire missed the "bon voyage" cake from her ambulance coworkers due to being out on a call. Krispin's family organized a steady stream of family meals with various combinations of people in attendance. They are marvelously creative with themed parties, so these merriments included decor such as map-adorned tablecloths and worldly-looking cupcakes with puffy, white, "cloud" frosting!
Lili's perfectly fitting (and delicious) cupcakes!
After the parties came one final, stressful, day of last-minute cleaning, storing, stuffing, packing, taping, sewing, mailing, and other last-minute modifications. Special thanks to Karnell and Lili for helping us through that one! All in all, our last couple of weeks in California were a whirlwind: wonderful, hectic, exciting, and sad, often all in the same day... or hour!
Many thanks to everyone for all your help, support, and loving send-offs!!
