The level of excitement that I feel at this moment is undefinable. I can’t believe how big the boys have gotten since the last time we decided to do a long-term trip. Andre will be a teenager by the end of this adventure.
Preparing for the trip has been a bit bananas.
Step 1: Become Unemployed (March 1st)
Step 2: Have a Revelation that you Want to Spend a Year Hanging with Your Family
Step 2: Convince Nuclear Family this is a Good Idea (April 2024)
Step 3: Have a Major Garage Sale
Step 4: Piss Off Friends
Step 5: Piss Off Family
Step 6: Pack House
Step 6a: Curse 1000x about the amount of clothes coming out of the closets and drawers
Step 7: Rent House
Step 8: Unload Bar
Step 8: Pack Clothes
Step 9: Plan Itinerary
Step 10: Deal With Administrative Shit (Insurance, School, Utilities, Vaccines, Doctors, Visas, Sell Truck, etc)
This of course is an abbreviated list. During the planning phase we had the privilege of hanging with our friends and family several times. We are definitely going to miss the amazing community we have found in OKC.
What do we have planned so far??
This brings us up to October 1st! First activity is driving to Florida! We had a great time visiting our Aunt and Uncle in Arkansas. We played a little poker, ate some wings, did a little Go Fish, watched TV and then said our goodbyes!
We then stopped in Memphis and obtained some delicious BBQ from Central BBQ where Owen ordered a very small rack of ribs.
We also stopped by the Civil Rights Museum which is one of the best museums we have ever been to. Highly impactful, well designed and very heavy.
We have only ever spent a night or two in Memphis at a time but I don’t particularly connect with the city. I personally feel a compressing feeling whenever visiting the city. There are so many vacant and dilapidated buildings where it is evident businesses have fled and didn’t try to recoup anything. We saw several abandoned strip clubs, and you know it’s bad when sex isn’t even selling. In 2022, it was named the Most Dangerous City in the United States.
However, the people we interacted with were kind and the food was lovely. It sucks when a city receives a label like “Most Dangerous City” because it does a disservice to the beautiful things about a location. I anticipate this being a theme in our travel this year. I am hoping we can find the beauty in places that have poor reputations from the American perspective. We will be as vigilant as possible and have safety as the highest priority, especially with our children in tow, but also an open perspective.
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You didn’t piss off all your friends. So excited for you and your adventure. But we are going to miss you terribly!
How did you subscribe? I don’t know how to add a button!!!
Speak for yourself
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So excited you guys are starting the blog back up! I forgot I was subscribed and was excited to get the email. I can’t believe how big Owen and Andre are. Have an amazing trip!!!
Woot!! Thanks Rach!!!