ETD - 10 days.

The puzzle of our trip is slowly coming together. We are either packing, planning or booking, and we even manage to sleep from time to time...

Forget the gym, packing up a house is the ultimate workout, they should package this as a fitness class, with a catchy rythm... Maybe call it cardboard boxing or something, there is a business idea for when we come back...(might need a few of those the way the bookings are going)

The house is starting to resonate and is looking reproachful and sad (why oh why are you leaving me, what have I ever done to you, it is so unfair... sorry House, time to move on, it is not you, it's us).

It feels so liberating to get rid of all our stuff in bags for the bin (never realised how little you can actually stuff in there), in car loads to an op shop (they all know me by name now), in boxes to the shed (it is absolutly amazing how much you can squeeze in there)

We are starting to feel light(headed) and free (and a bit apprehensive to be honest, what are we doing to our live?).

Well done Maxim and Callum on culling so much of your room... Yes I know it feels sooo empty. Now how about giving away your touch phones too...Noooo, ah well, that was worth a try.

This is where I want to say a special thank you to you, you know who you are, the angels in our life, the friends who offered us time (without bashing us on the head in frustration), wise advices and temporary homes to our treasured possessions.

Thank you Fiona for looking after our worm farm, Judith for storing our hundered of cactii, Sabine and her kind mum for an empty garage, Maxin for looking after our car and Paul's bike and Nicholle for an 8 month emergency and contengency back up. And all of you listening patiently as we go on and on and on about this trip. Thanks you so much....What would we do without you...

This is also the place where I will give our itenary so we can keep in touch. How much of this will we actually do... Will you see us back, sated after only a few months? we will see, it is all up in the air...

Can we survive just the four of us 24/7, no matter what... Hum...Are we going to come back at the end, oh yes, you bet, we will miss you very much. Despite all our adventures it will be good to come back to such good friends.

Towards New Zealand: 11th of March (to explore the south island in a campervan)

Towards Tahiti: 2nd of April (to stay by the beach at Papetee and on the Island of Moorea okay okay I stop right now)

Towards California: 21st of April (time for Disneyland, San Franscisco and the national parks)

Towards the East Coast: 31st of May (New york, Quebec and Montreal, here we come, what canada for ya?)

Towards Ireland: 30st of June (to catch with Paul's family and with lots and lots of school homework, boys.. you heard me)

Towards Spain: 2nd of August (to tour southern Europe in a campervan if NZ was indeed a success other wise we will do this part another time)

Towards Thailand: 6th of October (On the river in Bangkok and off to the North coast to chill and do lots and lots of homework, boys, where are you boys, get off that beach)

Towards Western Australia: 11th of November back to Perth, back to reality, back to our boxes and best of all back to you, who will hopefully not bash us on the head in frustration as we go on and on and on about our trip. We promise to shut up when asked...(well try anyway)