And We're Off! (by Jim)

Celebrating at breakfast with candles in yogurt

A birthday is an ideal time to begin a journey. A day of new beginnings. A day to celebrate life.

Although snow storms to the south and in Wisconsin delayed the start of our adventure, we had several much-needed days to continue our packing, ensure that we had everything taken care of, and  say goodbye to the places and people that are so important in our lives. One last walk through the woods of Whiting Park. Farewell visits with our wonderful neighbors. And getting to see the finished printed book that I had been pouring countless hours into writing and designing over the past year. It was a peaceful (well, mostly!) time of transition between the old and the new.

But finally, on Wednesday, the weather cleared in Wisconsin and we were itching to leave. Although another major snow/ice storm was forecasted for the south, we decided to drive to Indianapolis and wait out the storm in new surroundings. And in a hotel, since the Burro isn't exactly winter-proof! Not the start of a trip we were hoping for, but our mantra for the next 6 months is to "be flexible."

Final packing of the car.

The Burro, car top carrier, and car were FULLY loaded under a moonlit sky on Tuesday night. The back of the Honda was close to the ground, but happily still cleared it!

On Wednesday morning, Walden woke me up with a "Happy Birthday, Daddy. Can we celebrate right now?" When Mommy asked how we should celebrate, they decided that balloons and candles in my breakfast yogurt were the perfect way. What a good start to our first traveling day! That morning, we went through our final list of preparations. Pack Walden's blue puppy (that he needs to sleep... THE most important item of the trip). Clear out the rest of the refrigerator (I've never eaten so many cookies at one time... Oh wait, we could have brought them along?) Load up the electronics (an entire bag... Weren't we supposed to be roughing it?) Unplug everything. Turn off the gas to the hot water heater (move several years of stuff stored in front of the heater first). Turn off the water. Turn down the heat on the furnace (big debate... How "low can you go" without freezing the pipes? We settled on 53 degrees).

Let's start this trip!

It was definitely a strange feeling to leave the house where we have lived for over 10 years. To realize that we won't be sleeping in our bed for six months, or playing with the big Winnie the Pooh who is just too big to bring along, or planting our garden, or seeing our flowers bloom, or riding our bicycles. It's crazy to feel both a sense of loss and a sense of fulfillment simultaneously.

Trip mileage: 0. Temperature 9 degrees.

Celebrating Daddy's birthday at a rest area.

We pulled away from our home at 9:30 a.m., the temperature a balmy 9 degrees. The 8-hour trip from Stevens Point to Indianapolis was remarkably smooth and uneventful. The weather was calm. The traffic was light (we took a detour around Chicago). The Burro pulled like a feather (a really awkward, bulky feather). And Walden, the amazing little traveling man, played with the three little balloons from Daddy's birthday breakfast for hours on end. He never even asked for a different toy! When he managed to pop two of the balloons, he settled into staring out the window like a zombie, listening to Raffi. He was fascinated by the wind turbines, pointing out each one that wasn't spinning... "Why is that one not working?" Couldn't ask for much better... except for a nap, but these are exciting times! We stopped for an "indoor picnic" lunch at a rest area, and Mommy and Walden surprised Daddy with a special birthday brownie (thank you, Grandma Buchholz!) and a present... a calendar with pictures of all our adventures from last year to hang in the Burro. And for supper... a delectable meal at Outback Steakhouse. We realized it was the first time we had gone out to eat as a family for at least 6 months! We arrived at the hotel in Indianapolis around 9:00 p.m. Mom and Dad were exhausted. Walden ran back and forth through the room laughing and jumped on both beds. I never knew a boy who liked hotels so much (or was it just being free of the car seat??)

So the journey begins! A hotel in Indianapolis, waiting for the 8 inches of snow to be cleared so we can visit Mammoth Cave. Be flexible!

Walden excited to start the trip!

Mommy excited to start the trip!

Daddy excited to start the trip!