A Journey of 10,000 Miles

This morning I posted this photo quickly on Facebook with the comment, "A journey of 10,000 miles begins with a single step."  As I lay in bed thinking about taking this photo (yes that's right, I'm not as spontaneous as you might think), I considered which step really started our adventure.  I thought about stepping into the van...or stepping out of bed... and that led me to thinking all through the many steps to have led to this moment, this adventure and this amazing life that I'm living, such as:

A stepping into his managers office to schedule his sabbatical

A stepping into his interview with The Company

Me, stepping into another van to begin my move to Portland

Stepping into the cafe on our very first date

The steps our parents took that brought us into this world

It's humbling when you think about the many steps that lead to any particular moment, event or discovery.  We can believe it's preordained or a random series of events that lead to any particular point in time and it's amazing either way.   I'm so grateful for the steps and moments that have added up to our taking this journey.

Since 1998, I've kept a gratitude journal in which I periodically record 5 things for which I'm grateful.  It seems like a good way to start our trip, so here's 5 things I'm grateful for at the start of our trip:

1. Our amazing friends - our friends have helped in so many ways - by taking care of our baby, Chibo (I'm SO grateful for this!); by lending us books and resources and totems; by giving us useful suggestions and by sending us off with a bang and by following along on our blog and Facebook so that we never feel lonely.

2. Technology - This is really A's area, but I'm already impressed by the prep work he's done getting us ready with new gadgets to keep us oriented, entertained and in contact.  

3. Vastness - I can't really think of how to explain this properly, but I mean both the size of our country - with so much to explore and that I'm excited to see big spaces.  

4. Moby - more than a van or vehicle, Moby is our home-away-from-home, our vacation home and our nest for the next 9 weeks.  We've got most of our gear squirreled away pretty well so that everything has a place.  Well done, Volkswagen, well done.

5. And finally, last but never least, I'm so grateful for my husband, my partner and helpmeet, my beloved, A.  I don't often share the deep love I have for this man, either with him or publicly, but it bears sharing here because without his generous, kind, friendly and adventurous spirit, I would be living a very different life and I'm not sure I would ever have an adventure like this.  Thanks for expanding my worldview and giving me a safe foundation to leap from, A, I love you madly.