Big Plans

I haven't really mentioned much about the family adventure we are currently enjoying, so thought I'd share a little about that.  Last spring, my little family sold our home and scaled down our possessions to get ready for a family-friendly work/travel adventure before our son starts school.  Last fall, we were able to make our dream of many years ago a reality, when my husband started work at a large, nationwide travel nursing company.  They pay his salary and living expenses, he chooses from multiple work contract listings within that company (usually each one about 3 months long), interviews for the positions he's interested in checking out, and decides which position to take if/when it is offered, then we move to that location.  We figured this would be a great way to check out other areas of the country in which to live, since we had a couple of years before Gavin starts kindergarten.

First assignment: Dallas, TX.  We've had a great adventure, posted some travel hints about the city and its environs (still planning a post on our great San Antonio trip), and even extended our first contract of 3 months into a 6 month assignment.  Through our congregation, we've met lots of friends here, including some I hope will be lifelong buddies.  We really couldn't have asked for a better first assignment, even though it was not even close to on our radar when we talked about where we would go. And, who knows?  Perhaps it will be the home base we choose when the time comes!  We like it that much! (Although we haven't experienced the hottest part of the summer...)

Now it's time to move on to our next 3 month adventure: San Francisco, CA.  We'll be living in Daly City, just south of the city proper, and Mike's work will be right next to Golden Gate Park.  He's never even visited the city (and I've only been on there on a day trip over 20 years ago!), so it'll be a new experience for all of us.  So, look forward to plenty of West Coast adventures over the summer!

But, in the meantime, before we take our cross-country road trip from Dallas to San Francisco, we've decided we need another quick shot of adventure: a family vacation and scouting trip to Ecuador, in South America.  (Nothing like packing for 2 big trips and moving all at once!)  It's a place many of our friends have visited, lived and enjoyed over the years, and some place we might be able to do some longer-term volunteer work as a family in the future.  (Plus, it completes another continent of travel for me!  Only Australia and Anarctica left....)  

So, adventures of life (and hopefully fashion) await readers of my blog (all 2 of ya - ;) ).  Stay tuned, it's just about to get good....