January is over today! We got a lot done this month to prepare for the trip!
We finished packing up the house, and it is now a collection of boxes! We scheduled our move with the movers so we don't have to worry about carrying the furniture, the piano, and heavy boxes. Of course, we got a storage space big enough to put everything in, including my car.
We switched our phone coverage to one phone and a hot spot for internet access. We bought a laptop to take with us too. We are going to shut off the cable later this week, so we made a list of all our favorite TV shows and what network broadcasts them so we can watch via the internet. We need to buy some more CDs so we can finish our music collection for the road before the shutoff. Rebekah has been making CDs for us to listen to, so we won't be stuck without music.
We made a motel reservation for the first night since we have a 10 hour drive on the first day and don't want to deal with the tent after that drive. (It will probably be the longest on our trip) Especially since we will have a nervous cat for most of that drive! We finally found a cat sitter for our cat, thanks to a gracious family member who will be caring for her!!
We packed our suitcases (we are taking one large one each) to be certain that what we want to take will fit, and made some final clothing decisions. We went shopping for some clothes that we will need too.
We also made a list of everything we need to pack into the car to take with us so we won't forget anything important! And we packed the car to be sure it would all fit!
We made a list of things we need to do in the last week that we don't want to forget to do before we go. Things like checking our mailbox, taking the last things to storage that we kept out for use while still in the apartment, getting the cat's nails clipped, laundry, grocery shop for the first week. You know, little things that can be overlooked!
And lastly, I gave the 30 day notice that we are moving. We have lived here on this property for years, and it made it seem real that we are leaving.
In February, we have the final few things we need to do before we leave! We made an appointment for the Honda to be checked out by the mechanic and have an oil change and all that important stuff to do before we go.
We want to get a laptop bag, and a car charger.
We need to take both cars to the car wash.
We have to move everything into storage, which is in 6 days!
And after we move everything out we have to clean the apartment.
The last week of February we have to shut off the utilities, and meet with the landlord for the final walk through, then we will be ready to go on our adventure!
ONLY 29 MORE DAYS TO GO, WOO HOO!!
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Friday, January 27, 2012
Sorry for the lack of updates! As you can see, we've been busy packing the house. Moving day is in 10 days! Everything is pretty much ready to go and we're right on schedule.
We're having the cable shut off, so there wont be frequent updates for a while. Once we get closer to March 1st and leaving there will be a lot more posts of our adventures on the open road.
33 days left to go!
Monday, January 9, 2012
Planning Steps
In order to prepare for this trip, we started with when we wanted to leave. We decided on early spring so we wouldn't have to deal with winter snows, and chose March 1st. Yes, we still might run into some, but it shouldn't be as bad or as much. Plus, we needed the time to prepare.
At first we considered taking an RV, but that proved to be too costly. Have you looked at the price of gas lately? The Honda Civic is newer, and gets the best gas mileage so that was the obvious choice of car to take. Since we like camping, we have everything we need, and it doesn't hurt the budget, we are going to be wearing out the tent, with occasional hotel stops.
Next, we began to plan the route. We wanted to make a huge circuitous path around the United States. Knowing we would have to fit in the middle states, we began to look at the possibilities of how we would plan our route. So we finally decided on a basic plan of north, then across the northern route to the east coast, south, then west. Several times we have gone east first, and we wanted to see something different to start off!
Over the next few months we researched the states. We started a notebook of places to visit in each state, like national parks, state parks, major landmarks, factory tours, places to eat, and points of interest. We researched on the internet and several tour books. We also added recipes, budget, and weather information to our notebook.
Once the notebook was complete with all the cities and sites, it was time to plot them on a map. We got a United States map from AAA and marked them all. At times this was difficult because not all places were on this map! We had to use google maps to find many small towns.
Then it was time to draw in the route. This was the most frustrating part! Although we had decided on the basic route, there were points everywhere, and connecting the dots proved to be very difficult. This was no easy dot to dot! We tried to do it online at one point too, but that was just as eventful and frustrating. Several mistakes and crossouts were made all along the route until at last we thought we had it. Once we revised it and finally decided on the best route without making too many silly circles around and backtracking, we finally had our route planned. We got a new map from AAA and copied over the final version. Yes! We did it! Our route is a zig zag through the United States, but we got everything in.
After planning where to go, we created a timeline of what needed to be done before our departure date. It has been exciting to cross things off as we reach each milestone! It has also been a lifesaver in getting everything done!
First, it was time to plan what to do with all our stuff, and what to take. I decided to sell off the washer, dryer, and dishwasher, so I listed them on craigslist. Eventually they sold!
It was time to clean the garage! We spent weekends cleaning, and disposing, and giving away junk! It was chaos! We decided to get a storage unit for everything we were leaving behind. Our next target was our apartment. Now everything is packed and ready to move into storage.
This month we renewed our Driver's Licenses. Both of ours expire this year. In order to not have to return to California twice, we decided to renew them early. Of course, this means you have to take the written test again! After studying for two weeks, we both passed! Yay!
We also have to have a California address for insurance and DMV purposes, so we got a UPS mailbox so we would have a street address. They offer mail forwarding so we can get our mail when we are on the road.
We got our National Parks Pass in the mail today! Now we can visit many places run by the national government for free.
Only 51 days until departure!
At first we considered taking an RV, but that proved to be too costly. Have you looked at the price of gas lately? The Honda Civic is newer, and gets the best gas mileage so that was the obvious choice of car to take. Since we like camping, we have everything we need, and it doesn't hurt the budget, we are going to be wearing out the tent, with occasional hotel stops.
Next, we began to plan the route. We wanted to make a huge circuitous path around the United States. Knowing we would have to fit in the middle states, we began to look at the possibilities of how we would plan our route. So we finally decided on a basic plan of north, then across the northern route to the east coast, south, then west. Several times we have gone east first, and we wanted to see something different to start off!
Over the next few months we researched the states. We started a notebook of places to visit in each state, like national parks, state parks, major landmarks, factory tours, places to eat, and points of interest. We researched on the internet and several tour books. We also added recipes, budget, and weather information to our notebook.
Once the notebook was complete with all the cities and sites, it was time to plot them on a map. We got a United States map from AAA and marked them all. At times this was difficult because not all places were on this map! We had to use google maps to find many small towns.
Then it was time to draw in the route. This was the most frustrating part! Although we had decided on the basic route, there were points everywhere, and connecting the dots proved to be very difficult. This was no easy dot to dot! We tried to do it online at one point too, but that was just as eventful and frustrating. Several mistakes and crossouts were made all along the route until at last we thought we had it. Once we revised it and finally decided on the best route without making too many silly circles around and backtracking, we finally had our route planned. We got a new map from AAA and copied over the final version. Yes! We did it! Our route is a zig zag through the United States, but we got everything in.
After planning where to go, we created a timeline of what needed to be done before our departure date. It has been exciting to cross things off as we reach each milestone! It has also been a lifesaver in getting everything done!
First, it was time to plan what to do with all our stuff, and what to take. I decided to sell off the washer, dryer, and dishwasher, so I listed them on craigslist. Eventually they sold!
It was time to clean the garage! We spent weekends cleaning, and disposing, and giving away junk! It was chaos! We decided to get a storage unit for everything we were leaving behind. Our next target was our apartment. Now everything is packed and ready to move into storage.
This month we renewed our Driver's Licenses. Both of ours expire this year. In order to not have to return to California twice, we decided to renew them early. Of course, this means you have to take the written test again! After studying for two weeks, we both passed! Yay!
We also have to have a California address for insurance and DMV purposes, so we got a UPS mailbox so we would have a street address. They offer mail forwarding so we can get our mail when we are on the road.
We got our National Parks Pass in the mail today! Now we can visit many places run by the national government for free.
Only 51 days until departure!
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Preparations are underway!
This Spring we are embarking on the journey of a lifetime! We are planning on visiting 49 of the states. Our home for the next year or so will be our Honda Civic.
We are done with the research and have our itinerary and route planned. The adventure begins in Los Angeles, and our plan is to head north first. After Washington, we will head east, visiting many states until we reach the east coast, where we will travel down to Florida, and then head west, eventually making our way up to Alaska.
We have been packing up the apartment and garage, sorting through everything. Next we will be moving everything into storage.
We can hardly wait until March 1st when we begin traveling!
We are done with the research and have our itinerary and route planned. The adventure begins in Los Angeles, and our plan is to head north first. After Washington, we will head east, visiting many states until we reach the east coast, where we will travel down to Florida, and then head west, eventually making our way up to Alaska.
We have been packing up the apartment and garage, sorting through everything. Next we will be moving everything into storage.
We can hardly wait until March 1st when we begin traveling!
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