MID LIFE AT THE OASIS

We are finally settling in to our temporary home on the edge of the Alps and I am really enjoying practicing my rusty French again. It really comes back to you, even though I haven’t used it in years, especially comprehension in person. Speaking in long sentences and the phone are always more challenging, of course. I had to deal with a local plumber last evening and have successfully purchased things at the drugstore (La Pharmacie), post office, numerous stores and restaurants. So far, everyone has been really nice, as I am always making a good effort with my French and they don’t seem to get many American tourists up this relatively little valley. Cheryl thinks I make all the women working in the shops blush a bit as we try to communicate and this makes my success at interaction more likely.? Kinda of a big, tall, but quiet American.

Cheyrl and Our good Friend Hannah in Front of Maison Blanche, Vallee Verte 

On Tuesday, we went into Geneva and had a really nice day walking about and taking the fabulous public transit. The clean, quiet trams go everywhere and are so easy to get on and off as they are at street level and of course, you can board any door on the honor system for tickets. We even used our transit passes to ride the water taxis across the lake to the Botanical Gardens. Geneva is beautiful and very dramatic with Mount Blanc in the distance and the Jura mountains to the North; however, it does lack a bit of character in culture and could be described as “too perfect”. Of course, we only scratched the tourist surface of the city and it is amazing mix of languages, people, and even money, as they still use the Swiss Franc and are not part of the EU.

We did have the best Tomato Fondue (fondue au Tomate) at a great little neighborhood place recommended by the New York Times last year (Yes, I saved the article). A wonderful blend of three cheeses mixed with a mild tomato flavor, and served with hot potatoes to dip along with the bread. Very unique. We started the meal with the thinnest cut chacuterie plate I’ve ever seen, which was fabulous while sitting out with white wine on a quiet street in the Caroche neighborhood. We lingered over our wine and fondue, but still couldn’t outlast the amazing French/Swiss locals to each side of us and their ability to sit for 2 hours at lunch.

It was a great food start to our trip, but we are sure glad we’re not staying in Western Europe too long this time as it is very expensive with the horrible exchange rate. Luckily, our gracious hosts are treating us very nicely and we are able to enjoy this beautiful area on a small budget of gifts, wine, and a few odd expenses sightseeing. And thank you G.W.B. for taking our global respect AND currency down in value over the past 6 years.

We still have lots to tell you all about, including biking and swimming in Lake Annecy today (fabulous), but my internet is about to be cut off for now.

Au demain,

Rich

Well, we are finally in rural France, just outside Geneva, in a valley called the Vallee Verte, and boy is it green. Our good friends Hannah and Erik live with their two boys, Finn and Frankie in a cool OLD farmhouse/hunting lodge that has parts that date to the mid 1600’s! It’s an amazing building with nooks, 3 foot thick stone walls, and lots of space, including a spectacular view of the adjacent mountains. A good place to start as we make our way around the world. We caught up with Hannah and Erik last night over lots of wine and managed to drink ourselves out of our jet lag. (so much for the classic advice not to drink)

Hey, and we are finally not packing, planning, or running around San Francisco. Our flight on Lufthansa’s new business class was really nice, and we both slept really well on their near flat-bed seats (pods) that have every modern convenience and can be adjusted into about 1000 positions. We will definitely seek out Lufthansa again in the future though for one big reason. Taking your bikes overseas with them is easier than taking them on BART. Really. After our gracious friend Nico took us to the airport (rush hour on a long weekend, no less), we just rolled our bikes to the counter, got luggage checks on them and then handed them to the oversize baggage handler 20 yards away. No boxes, no taking off the pedals, and no stress! Amazing; as they didn’t even make us turn the handlebars. And what about the other end in Geneva you ask? They cane out alone on a cart and were handed to us in perfect condition. Awesome. The combination of a German airline and a Swiss airport made the whole experience a breeze. We will not choose United again if we can ever avoid it.

Today, we were both going to cycle towards Lake Geneva after a nice relaxing day yesterday, but the jet lag finally hit me a bit and we got up too late for such a big ride, so we’ll probably just explore the area a bit. I couldn’t resist getting out yesterday on the bike for some truly jaw dropping scenery.

The photos don’t do the Alps justice. The hills and Cols are big, so luckily we are fresh from our Colorado experience at 12,000 feet…..

Au Revoir Mes Amis

This is the Day! Well, oh my gosh, how time creeps up on you when you’re out living life on the Road!  As you can read in Cheryl’s blog, we had a fantastic trip biking over the Rockies and quite an experience on Amtrak.  I promise to write more comparisons and contrasts on Amtrak and the rail systems of the world that we experience in the next 10 months or so.

 The past few days have been intense as we are down to the wire; packing up EVERYTHING today and taking two final loads to the storage bin.  Throwing things in boxes and final packing decisions are what it all comes down to after 10 months of planning.  There is never enough time and there are always a few things you wish that you did or checked on, etc…  It’s a great feeling to finally be done with all the planning, packing, and logistics; which are not an easy task.  I fear I may have overpacked an item or two; but I can always send it back from Europe if needed.  Tickets…check, passports…check, money….check, and of course, Cheryl….Check.  (Biking in Colorado below) That’s all we really need.

 Every goodbye the past few weeks feels very final as we venture out into the unknown; although we know we’ll be back before we know it.  We will miss all our friends and this experience really makes us realize how many great friends we have here in the Bay Area.   As we have determined, there is no perfect time to plan a trip, so sometimes you just need to make a plan and stick with it and hope for the best.  Everything will be o.k..we will meet new people too, and we will even like some of them.

 Our bikes, one duffle, and a small carryon each is all ready to go and we head to the airport tonight.

 We’ll catch up in Geneva,

 Bon Voyage and Hello World

 -Rich

I must have some good Karma left, since the elusive Box “X” was right in front of the storage unit!  Of course, there are other things already in storage that we “might have liked to have access to” in the next year, but that’s that.  We’ll live with what we’ve got outside the steel box.  My advice to others trying to do this is to:

1. Label everything in your boxes (we did this)
2. Use tags to prioritize access to things (we did NOT do this)
3. Take photos of each archeological layer of your storage unit as you fill it up (Nope)

If you do tasks 2 and 3, then you can tag boxes and containers to stay near the front of your unit.  We just relied on the fact that the last bit of stuff we still have to pack is most of the stuff we may want shorter term access to.  The photos would really help if you absolutely need to get something out.  -R

IMG_0093

Originally uploaded by Cheryl & Rich.

On Friday Night, July 28th, we visited the gathering and departure of the NYC Critical Mass ride. The police have been cracking down on the monthly peaceful bike rides of coincidence since the Republican National Convention in 2004. They have decided that these bikes a are a threat to the peaceful gridlock, noise, pollution, and aggression that occurs on nearly every block of Manhattan 24 hours a day. No congestion charge and no tolls from the East into the City. So please bring your hummer into the City; we will protect you and keep a clear path so your rims can spin and dazzle or you can valet park on Madison Ave to shop, adjacent to 50 forms of transit.

The riders are now only being arrested if they break laws, but they do, as does nearly EVERY pedestrian in the city on a routine basis.  Why?  Because ALL of the streets are still designed for vehicles first, pedestrians second, and bikes are an afterthought.  The bike lanes in Manhattan are 4-foot “door” zones.  We joke that they should really be called “no bike lanes” Might I note that lower Manhattan is fairly mellow by 8 p.m. on a summer Friday evening, so the cyclists are truly inconveniencing very few of the free loader drivers.

The remaining riders are brave as they are almost all guaranteed to get an expensive ticket this month or the next and most have already had a bike confiscated by the fascist police in the past two years.  The city is also in the process of approving a law that would make any two bikes or pedestrians that break a law together to be in violation of a new “parade” permit law; hence the photo at the top of this entry. 

New York City has a long way to go to provide any equality for bikes and pedestrians ,including the many people who bike despite all the threats against them; including thousands of bike messengers and delivery people who are a vital part of the city’s transportation need.  The crazy thing is that there is no place in the U.S. that could improve and increase bike usage faster than Manhattan (and the boroughs, too) with just a little political will.  Someday it WILL be different, and you can quote me on that. -R

All right, yesterday was the big day where we moved 95% of our stuff into a 10 x 15 foot storage unit with the help of “Starving Students”.  Well, I’m not sure that Miguel and Juan were students, but they were two extremely nice, hardworking Hispanic men and had a big truck.   It was hell, and way more work than you ever expect (as any move generally is, unless you get the professional complete move)  Over the past 4 days we have diligently sorted our stuff into 50 boxes that were going to storage and had both created separate containers for our “A” clothes that we might want in the near future, on our trip, or soon after we get back.  We also have a box for stuff definitely going RTW. 

We have kept our computer out, a mattress, some basic kitchen essentials, two lawn chairs, a folding camp table, and still have a smattering of  art on the walls and other odds and ends that will probably add up to two trips in a City CarShare Honda Element (which are amazingly good moving vehicles with the seats removed).

Our glamorous life for 5 days.

 The first issue was trying to park a 30-foot moving truck on a street that has 10-feet between 2 rows of parked cars, one of the narrowest in the city.  This was my first clue that Miguel was a bit of a drama queen, as he made thee situation seem somewhat unworkable.   But after some discussion with our neighbors with 3 cars and a bit of tree trimming (accidental), Miguel made it work.  So we started loading up and Cheryl headed off to work (she is doing a bit of short-term contract work at McKesson), as it seemed things were under control.  We had put stuff not to move in the closest, bathroom or labeled it “NO” if it was not to go.  Or so we thought.    After filling the truck and hearing Miguel state over and over, “Man, you got a lotta stuff”  and me responding “Yeah, but we used to have  a lot more”  I think he was amazed how much stuff came out of our little cottage.   After joining them in the truck (always fun being one of the crew) This of course was after Miguel portended more doom and gloom due to painting awnings blocking the entrance to the storage unit.  We got that resolved in about 15 minutes.     OUR SQUATTERS QUARTERS!

Then the major panic set in as we got to up to the storage unit. I forgot to tell him that we already had 20 boxes in there and that there is a big column in the middle!  We opened it and he immediately shook his head and said he didn’t think it would all fit!  Moments of panic, as we had already paid for the unit for a year, and we had no way to get some excess somewhere else.  Luckily, we scratched our heads and started to plot out how we could make this work.  This is where the bonding occurred as we both agreed that we could make it work with some careful planning.   It turns out, Miguel and I shared a gene for special arrangement and it turned into a 2-hour 3D tetris game.  By the way, the best way is to mix boxes and furniture as you go with boxes filling in above the strong furniture and vice-versa for the “light” furniture.  Then jam odds and ends (art work, skis, backpacks, lamps, etc) into the little gaps and high spaces on top, right up to the 8-foot chain mesh roof.   After 2 sweaty hours, things started to come together, and we had managed to fit almost everything into only 75% of the unit, leaving just enough room for the rest of our stuff later (incl. bikes).  No problem, and we both congratulated each other and I paid them (with a nice cash tip) and headed out onto the street with a great feeling of accomplishment (and a vow not to move again in at least 5 years, right!) So I got home, relaxed in our spartan cottage and was looking forward to a much needed shower and change of clothes…..but wait, where is the tall blue plastic storage container containing my “A” clothes?  Not in the bathroom, not in the closets, not downstairs in the basement?  Oh no…no frigin’ way…..yup….it went into storage…..I took photos of most of our rooms as we were prepping for the move (as a digital inventory) and I just looked now and there it is (see below on top of boxes).  I guess it didn’t get into the bathroom or closets prior to Juan starting to move things, as we were negotiating with neighbor to move their cars.   Bugger.

The transition has begun away from the cubicle (o.k. an office in my case, but cube sounds more like corporate enslavement).  Things look different and my interactions with people feel different.  I think I am becoming more patient.  I hope so.  One year off is a long time and I’m determined to make the most of it.

The past three weeks on the east coast were great.  As we flew in and out of Washington DC on free tickets, we had a bit of a drive up to New England, but no worries, we had the opportunity to stop at Gettysburg, which was interesting, but not a recommended destination on its own unless you REALLY like Civil War History. 

(Read: like to dress up in funny hats, brandish muskets, and reenact the battle monthly)  It was educational and thought provoking in that so many soldiers (57,000 in three days) died IN America; something that has not happened in any of the subsequent wars.    

We then headed up to my old alma mater, Lehigh University, which looked sharp and pristine, even more beautiful than I remembered; with a new fitness center, dining hall, and performing arts center, just to name a few improvements.  Wow, the kids have it good today; ‘cause back in my day we just lugged engineering textbooks up the steep hills of campus for a workout and ate in the plain old cafeteria.  (with no celebrity chef sponsorship)……it was rough I’m telling you..  One thing that that was very disappointing was the fact that they built a 4-story parking garage right behind the beautiful Alumni memorial building and right next to my old fraternity house (We were a mellow bunch of lads, so forget some of the stereotypes about frats, but not all…) The garage ruins the view from the building and forced the removal of some beautiful old trees. 

Enrolment is about the same as when I went in the 80’s, so why the sudden need for parking.  I think people are just getting lazier and more car dependent by the year,….but don’t get me started; you’ll hear enough about cars ruining the world in the next year of our travels, so no worries now.  I bet most kids still walk to classes and such, but I bet car ownership is still way up; people have so much freakin’ money, especially when considering the $40k/year tuition.

Continue reading this entry »

So I’ve been asked many times recently “How do you decide where to go for a year?” It’s not easy to decide and our plan has evolved over the past 10 months. But here are some of our goals:

    1. Travel to places that we would never go in a “normal” two week vacation

    2. Visit places and cultures that are changing

    3. Meet and interact with locals as much as possible

    4. Relax and reflect on our lives

    5. Visit as many friends as possible

    6. Live like Anthony Bourdain (Be travelers, not tourists and try just about anything once)

So this is what we’ve come up with base on these criteria:

EASTERN EUROPE (~2 MONTHS)

It’s changing quickly (some areas faster than others) and has some stunning scenery and amazing history.  We fly into Sarajeveo, Bosnia and then plan on heading to the cost of Croatia and Montenegro (the world’s newest country!).  Sarajevo is a dynamic city where cultures interact and sometime collide (as we all know).  The Croatian coast is often described as “Italy in the 60’s”  Laid back, beautiful, and very friendly.  We then plan on heading North through Slovenia, Hungary, Ukraine, Poland and back to the Czech republic, ending in Vienna, where we fly out of to India> Continue reading this entry »

Greetings Friends Old and New:

Sold the condo, gave notice at work, and now we’re getting ready for the trip of our lives. It was over 9 months ago that this idea was conceived, and I can’t believe that we’re actually getting so close. (twitch, twitch from excitement) I will always remember the morning of Sunday, August 21st, 2005, about 9 a.m. (while reading the travel section on yet more places we don’t have time to visit) my wife, Cheryl, tired of my bitchin’ and moanin’  about work, the lack of time, the condo association, the new neighbors upstairs, etc, etc…rather mildly suggests “Why don’t we just sell the place, quit our jobs, and travel for awhile…..” She then waited patiently for my customary cautious response such as “no way, we can’t do that now for x,y,z reasons….” After all, we’ve been working straight since we’ve been together (14 years, 9 married, all happy) Work, work , work like a good American. 

We were in deep, but there was still hope.  We owned a nice (pricey of course) condo in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of SF.  It took us nearly 10 years to buy a place we liked and could “afford”, but the huge mortgage, HOA, and just the worry about the place added a whole new level of complexity to our otherwise “simple” lives.  The marble countertops and stainless steel appliances just didn’t fit our soul.   We have lived a simple city life without a car and with many bikes for years, but we were convinced that perhaps the “yuppie” renovated Edwardian condo would change our happiness level.  Although we enjoyed living there, entertaining, and even fixing the place up, it didn’t really change our outlook on life.  

So stuff doesn’t really make you happy, it just complicates life.   It’s like the studies that have been done about lottery winners.  The overall happiness level of big lotto winners six months after they win is nearly the same as prior to winning.  We are happy now, so why get sucked into the “live to work and aquire more things” mentality.  Of course, this is not retirement (by any means), but it does feel like an important revelation relatively early in life.  We’ve had all the things we could want, except time to visit friends, family, and new places.

So suddenly after years of saving, living modestly, and trying to do our part to minimize our impact on the planet; we have the opportunity to trade in some “stuff” for some precious time.  People, experiences, and satisfying work can make you happy; but stuff is just stuff.  Goodbye stuff and goodbye condo.  Luckily, the market had gone up in the past few years which made selling easier, especially since my wife and I both feel the US is heading for a rough patch with debt, wars, and misguided leadership.  Did I mention the debt?  I feel that we are headed for a serious day of reckoning in the ol’ US of A with interest-only loans and a negative savings rate.

So for now, these are the easy steps we have followed to achieve some mid-life bliss….

STEP 1 – Downsize from 1900 sq ft. yuppatorium to 600 sq ft rental!  Half our stuff is gone (sold, donated, passed on to friends, etc) We haven’t looked back.  We are going to shed even more load prior to putting things into storage.

*********SOLD********

STEP 2 – quit jobs (Almost there)

So here we are in the middle of June with a few weeks to go until we quit our jobs!  It should be easy, right.  But there is so much to think about….health insurance, aging parents, moving our stuff into storage, finances, wrapping up at work, but most of all….how the hell do you plan for a one year trip?  The short answer is, of course, you can’t.  I’ve been digesting travel blogs, forums, websites, and now have a Lonely Planet collection that rivals the local library branch.  So what have we learned so far…..

1) Giving notice at work is sweet! But having to endure a few more months after that is a combination of bliss and sheer torture.  People will simultaneously get on your nerves when in the next moment all you can think is “This is totally meaningless, there is a whole world out there going on right now”   All you can think is about the ability to make everyday the adventure it should be without the constraints of a 40-hour work week. 

2) Read, read , read, and learn about the world.  Then go meet these people.  We have so many advantages living with prosperity in the U.S., but there are drawbacks and responsibilities.  We need to try to help those in need and make an effort to understand other cultures.  We are a nation of rednecks and I fear we are a nation that is simultaneously heading towards more cultural isolation and expanded cultural imperialism.  The real imperialism may be coming to an end soon.  (Too much debt, too many dead, and too much resentment building in the world) 

3) Some people just won’t get it.  We’ve had a few people (one parent) who think our whole approach to this is crazy.  Selling the condo was perhaps not the most financially prudent thing to do (but who knows if there is a real estate crash; I’ve met people recently who really believe that real estate CAN’T go down in value!  Read about Japan in the past 15 years, baby…99-year mortgages, and people immobilized by depreciated assets.)  Most people do get it and almost all say to a tee, “I wish I could do that”  Many of them can, but it will take a change in perspective.  And it’s not “easy” to do in the middle of your lives; otherwise, there would be lines a mile long at the airport.

STEP 3 – Travel wherever the winds blows!  (Visa permitting)

More on “the itinerary” in the next installment of MLATO.

Peace