LATEST TRICKS: Learning As We Go

Sunday, October 24, 2010 

We are over half way into the Old Dogs, New Tricks expedition!  As we hoped, this journey is bringing with it discovery, exploration and thinking outside-the-box.  But what we are learning is not always what we expected—indeed, looking up the definition of discovery we find the words “uncover, reveal, unearth, disclose”.  We are grateful for each and every aspect of this journey, especially the unexpected discoveries. 

Some discoveries are more personal, others are more practical.  We’ll let those personal discoveries keep percolating for now, but on the practical side, we’ve discovered that keeping a blog up-to-date is much more challenging than we expected!  When it was just the two of us traveling in the north central states, we could stay on top of our entries pretty well.  But, when we added in traveling with friends, visiting family and friends, and the fatigue that comes from high altitude (yet another discovery), blogging regularly and creatively became more challenging.  So, while we have our notes, memories and photos, we find ourselves about a month behind on the published blog entries.  That’s a lot to catch up on without sequestering ourselves in a motel room for a couple of days!  Meanwhile, trying to get caught up none-the-less, we haven’t been posting current entries. 

So that we can once again provide you with a near real-time travel experience, we have decided to temporarily set aside the catch-up process and start moving forward with blog entries starting today.  This was a difficult decision because…
-- We’ve met some marvelous people this past month and we want them to know how much they have touched us. 
-- The time we shared traveling with our friends was precious and we want that experience reflected on the blog so that we can all share it with others.
-- The visits with friends and family in Nevada and Arizona were so special and we want to share the love.
-- And, we’re organized people that like chronological sequencing. 

But, “on-the-road and off-the-leash” is teaching us about flexibility.  We WILL get that missing month filled in but that may come much later or after we have returned home.  There is much to tell about our experiences in South Dakota, Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Arizona and Colorado.  (Oh yeah, we made tracks in that missing month!)  In the meantime, hop on board once again.  We’re in Santa Fe, New Mexico and we’ve got things to tell you!    
-- Ted and Laura

LATEST TRICKS: Rome Wasn't Built in a Day

...Or a week for that matter!  The old dogs have learned a very important new trick.  It takes a whole heck of a lot longer than anticipated to wrap up business at home as well as prepare and pack for a three month trip, especially after losing a much-needed week of preparation time when our furry little travel agent, Tut, became ill, needed urgent diagnosis and care, and ultimately parted earthly company with us. We tried to convince ourselves, even though slowed by grief and confronted with the realities of time, that we could somehow make up that whole lost week.  So, we tried, and tried, and tried and tried.  The end result was stress, fatigue and the inevitable…no matter how many new tricks you have up your sleeve, you can’t bend time!

The result was a delay in our departure.  And then another.  And another.  First, we said, let’s just give ourselves an extra day, despite a “to do” list that was in direct conflict with a twenty-four hour timeframe.  But, we felt a little sheepish--everyone was expecting us to depart on Saturday.  Nonetheless, we cheerfully proclaimed that we would be headed out on Sunday.  Ha!  We were still missing six critical days!  But, somehow we had to do it.  We didn’t want to disappoint our friends, family and followers.  We also didn’t want to let ourselves down.  So, we promised that we would be leaving for sure on Sunday…Monday… Tuesday.  Not surprisingly, Monday night and Tuesday morning ushered in a spectacular migraine for me.  Ever the devoted travel planner and organizer (and one stubborn woman), I kept trying to figure out a way to make it work.  (Did I mention that you can’t bend time?  That really irks me.) 

It took us a few days but we finally caught on…this is part of the journey.  We said we wanted to think outside the box…these circumstances certainly pushed us into thinking outside of the box.  Just not in the way we planned.  What this helped us to realize is that the journey itself is more important to us than any particular agenda or destination.  When Tut got sick, our primary concern was taking care of the kitty we love so dearly, not the impact on our agenda. And, when we lost a week of preparation and had to delay the trip by four days, our primary concern was disappointing our friends, not missing out on a particular city or state. 

So, friends, family and followers…we thank you for your enthusiasm, love, support, and now, your patience.   As we’ve most recently learned, it will all be worth the wait.  The journey is more important than the destination.
-- Laura

LATEST TRICKS: Birthing a blog

A journey of 8,000 miles begins with a single blog 
Today we built a blog, our very first blog.  Wow!  So now, our journey can "officially" begin.  It's already been an amazing trip and we haven't even hit-the-road.  A couple months ago, we started sharing our plan to take a three-month trip around the country.  The response has been moving.  We feel so embraced with enthusiasm and support for our adventure.  We are blessed with some very loving friends and family.  Thank you!

So, how did it all begin?  This idea was only hatched a few months ago but already it seems so much a part of our lives, it's hard to imagine life before Old Dogs, New Tricks.  Like so many things in life, the idea was the brainchild of bad news.  What do two middle-aged professionals do when they BOTH find themselves without employers/income for the first time in 25 years?  This unexpected turn-of-events inspired a lot of questions, not the least of which was...What next?  As opposed to other times in our careers, the answers to "what next" weren't as obvious this time.  We were at a crossroads and we both agreed that it was time to examine, evaluate and "think outside the box". 

The idea started simply enough late one night, lying beside each other in bed, in the dark, quietly pondering before falling asleep.  All was quiet.  And then, Ted's voice in the darkness: "Maybe this is the time for us to take that cross-country trip".  Nothing could have been more right.  Of course, there was plenty of analysis, discussion, and one-on-one "focus groups" for a few days, but the answer was clear.  The end result was a decision to use the unexpected lack of employment as an opportunity instead of a loss. 

So, here's the game plan: We are literally going to “think outside the box” by setting off across America, learning more about our own country, our fellow Americans, and ourselves.  This trip represents both a long-standing dream and an investment in our future.  We believe that this physical and intellectual journey will help us to open our minds beyond the concept of “career move” or “next job” to the bigger picture of how to best use our skills to be of service, generate income, continue to pursue our goals, and protect our well-being in later years.

It became clear as we started talking with friends and family that this is a journey that is meant to be shared.  FIRST STEP: We held a "Name Ted and Laura's Trip" contest amongst friends and family.  The names suggested ranged from inspiring to naughty.  Not only was the contest great fun but the title ideas inspired contemplation and helped us gain clarity about our goals and expectations for the trip.  SECOND STEP: Create a blog.  Ta-dah!

Watch for more about the journey in upcoming posts.

In the meantime, our departure date is September 4, 2010 with an estimated return date of Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 2010.  Labor Day Weekend to Thanksgiving seems appropriate, don't you think?  --Laura