A Very Productive Week

Last night we met with our spankin new travel agent, Deb, for the first time.  So far, I like her a lot: super knowledgeable and well-traveled.  Our reason for getting a travel agent wasn't laziness (ask Aaron: I'm so OCD/ADD I've already filled almost an entire notebook with research), but more along the lines of ignorance.  Our trip is so huge and there are so many details, we just wanted to make sure we weren't forgetting anything important.  Plus, travel agents have so many contacts and can get you great deals on flights, accommodations and excursions, at little or not expense to you.  They're really the saints of the travel industry (okay, now I'm putting a little too much butter on it), but I'm pretty sold on the idea so far.  Use a travel agent, save a panda! (Yea, that might be a lie...sorry).

Another thing we did this week was pick our destinations.  It was a combination of super fun and super stressful because it took a lot of thought and we wanted to have it done before we met with Deb.  Drum roll please!  Here it is (although subject to change):
Costa Rica (2 months)
Buenos Aires, Argentina (2 months)
Barcelona, Spain (2 months)
Greece (1 month)
Dublin, Ireland (1 month)
Thailand(1 month)
Another Asia stop (1 month)
Sydney, Australia (2 month)
HOME!
As you can see, instead of backpacking around the world, staying in different places every night, we've decided it would be more our style to pick a handful of places and set-up shop for a month or two.  We recently found out we can only stay 30 days in Thailand, so we're looking for another Asian destination (any ideas?).  We're still in the initial planning stages, so a lot can change from now until takeoff, but this is where we're at, as of now.
Obviously, we're going to venture out once we settle in each place (weekends in neighboring countries/islands), but for the most part we want to immerse ourselves in each culture fully and live almost like locals.  Let's be honest: that's totally Sensible (Frugal) Aaron talking, if it were up to me, we'd be throwing money in the air and making it rain!  No seriously though, I definitely want to see as much as possible without really burning us (and our wallets) out.  Deb gave us a "Bucket List" assignment (pick the places you HAVE to see) and it's so much fun it makes me want to pee from excitement!  I'm trying to pick places that are somewhat geographically near where we'll be, so anyone with ideas, let me know!  So far I have:
Panama Canal
Great Blue Hole in Belize
Machu Picchu in Peru
Eiffel Tower and Louvre in Paris
Colosseum in Rome
Stonehenge in England
Great Wall of China?
Sydney Opera House
Great Barrier Reef in Australia
Wow, that's more than I thought, but hey, you only live once!  My new mantra is:

Especially after this trip, since I'll have no money to collect anything :(

Anyway, along with planning destinations and sights, we also have the pleasure of thinking about other, technical, not-fun-but-grown-up-shit, such as: health insurance (we're both leaving our jobs, so we have to buy individual plans), trip insurance (for gap coverage in our medical and trip incidentals), vaccinations, banking/credit card options with minimal foreign transaction fees, international phone plans-Deb informed me that for iPhone 5 and higher you can get a cheap "burner" SIM card in each country with data and minutes without ever having to notify your phone company (SAY WHAT?? SUCK IT VERIZON!!), global car insurance (maybe), weather (including tsunamis!), Deb's fee, bills while we're away, adding pages to our passports, and tons of other super exciting, stupid-ass shit we have to deal with before we can gallivant around the globe.
Blonde moment of the day: I'm sorry, but I can't even fathom how suicide bombers hijack planes.  I can't even go on vacation without notifying like 50 people I'm leaving, not to mention I can't even bring my lotion because I might pair it with some weird substance in my shoe and make a bomb, and the only bad thing I've ever done is shoplift a key-chain BY ACCIDENT!  Yet these known terrorists manage not only to get on the plane without incident, but to somehow bring a weapon on-board to terrorize people?  Am I the only one confused??  Okay, blonde rant over (sorry blondes, I know that was pretty bad, even by your standards).

Okay, whew!  More to follow soon!  Remember folks: Adventure Is Out There!  That is, after you buy health care, let you credit card company know you'll be travelling, get all your vaccinations, buy a money belt (basically a flat fanny pack), sell your car, tell the Embassy/Consulate you're coming, put everything in storage......aaaand I'm too tired to go anywhere now...I think I'll take a nap.

Heavy hearted...

We have recently made an impossibly difficult decision......we have decided NOT to take our dogs with us on our travels.  We decided it was for the best, not for our own well-being, but for theirs.  It wasn't an easy choice to make, as they are our babies, but in researching flights and trip routes, we've come to realize the painfully obvious: travelling is difficult and uncomfortable (at best) for even seasoned travelers, let alone dogs who will be completely unaware of their surroundings and are totally happy with their lives as is (sans travel).  Therefore, it's with a heavy heart that we've decided to leave them behind.

In case you're wondering, we haven't yet found someone to take them (just for the year, mind you), but I'll keep you posted when we do!  Whoever wins that lotto will be in for quite a treat: I'll be checking in on my loves as much as humanly possible.  I also like to talk to them on the phone :)

It's almost like a catch-22 because we are essentially "free" from the constraints of your typical life (we have no children, no mortgage (soon) and Aaron can return to his job at any time), yet our dogs are like our children (okay relax, I don't celebrate Mother's Day or anything, but they're the closest thing I have to kids and they're our family, so stop rolling your eyes!).  

While they are practically my life, it would be almost crazy for us to stay simply because we would miss our dogs.  I know it sounds like I'm contradicting myself, but it's the dog owner's plight: you love your dogs like they're family, but at the end of the day they're still pets and the line gets so blurred and before you know it you're the lady with 15 cats and a couple ferrets and you're on Hoarders and people shake their heads at you and you wonder: HOW DID MY LIFE END UP LIKE THIS??  So long story LONG, we're going away for a year and we're leaving our dogs behind.  Save the guilt trip because I don't have room in my itinerary for even one more!

Until then, my boos will be the most spoiled pups in town (expect a LOT more pictures...I know it's annoying, but I don't care!).

My 30th Birthday

So my 30 birthday came and went.  I simultaneously feel totally different and exactly the same, it's so strange.  Do I look older?

Aging is such a complicated feeling to express, but I'll sum it up for you: it sucks.  Okay, that's not fair, SOMETIMES it sucks (for example: when I'm in a sitting position and need to get to a standing position or when I DON'T get carded somewhere-which used to be awesome when I was 20, but now is the ultimate insult).  It can be awesome too I suppose, but I don't have any examples of that yet.  If I'm being perfectly honest, it feels pretty much the same as 29, but I know I'm SUPPOSED to feel different so I'm really trying to accommodate that feeling and basically make shit up...so far it's not working (if you couldn't tell).  I know it's all relative: if you're older, 30 seems really young, but if you're just turning 30 (ME!!) then it's obviously the oldest you've ever been, so it's completely unfathomable.  I remember being 5 okay?  Now I'm supposed to be 30?!  It's outrageous!  

As far as wisdom, I have many people in my life who are totally on board with getting older and see it as a right of passage and swear they get more respect, I'm just not yet one of those people (I'll let you know if someday an older person passes me on the street and nods at me as a sign of respect, but don't hold your breath).  Don't get me wrong, I'm not clawing tooth and nail to get back to my 20's.  I'll never be one of those older women in the club, shoving my situation into a tube top, thinking I'm fooling anyone.  I'm perfectly content and happy with my life (and I believe that's a huge part of accepting your age), but it feels like a death to me, or let's compare it to a snake shedding it's skin (just to be less morbid).  There's this other person inside me I have to shed and that's kinda sad.  

WHEW!  Anyway, my birthday party was just as fun as it was depressing (okay, more fun than depressing).  Thank you mom and dad for throwing the shin-dig and thanks to everyone who came over during the day and/or out with us that night AND thank you for all my wonderful gifts!  I am so grateful to have people in my life that I know will push my wheelchair and feed me when I'm old(er).

Here's us on Shattuck in Berkeley:

A couple observations people have had:

1.  Why do I look like I'm digging in my crotch?  Honestly I was just trying to duck down a little and I have no idea what my hand is doing, it must have been warm in there.

2.  Who is the chick on the far right?  I have NO IDEA!  We got photobombed.  She is way too cool.

Okay, I have to give a special shout-out to my bestie Ashley and her hubby Kevin for getting me the most perfectly fantastic birthday gifts:

For our travels and my blogging, they got me 3 lenses for my iPhone, so I can take really good quality pictures without having to carry my bulky camera everywhere.  They're magnetic and super cool (I have no idea how to use them yet, but I know they're somehow the best!).  I also got a keyboard for my iPhone that folds in half, so as to be tiny and I love it!  Oh yea, and of course no birthday is complete without a Whirly Pop!  Thanks Ash and Kev (and of course baby Theo)!  Love you guys!

Another special shout out to my main man for taking me and my boys to Tahoe for the weekend.  It was absolutely the best!  We rented a condo at Northstar Resort in Truckee and it was fun for the whole family!  Here's me making dinner at the condo:

   And here are all my boys at the beach:

Overall, I had a most excellent birthday.  While I can't say I was over the moon about turning 30, the people in my life made it a mostly painless celebration.  Thank you everyone!  Oh yea, and another special shout-out to everyone at work for making me feel ultra special..you guys are amazing!

So, quickly before I go, just wanted to share a funny picture.  Last night, Aaron, my brother, his girlfriend and I went to the drive-ins to watch Ninja Turtles (it's a nostalgia thing okay? We're not weirdos).  I fell asleep, well...because I'm 30! and because they're morons they took pictures.  This one was actually kinda funny:

Those crazy kids!

Updates on travel plans to follow, I promise!