Last Post from Portland

Well, folks, this is it. Our bags are packed and we're ready to go. Our life in Portland is stowed away until next summer, we've fit in last dinners and get-togethers with most of our friends, and slept our last night on U.S. soil for most of a year. It's been a long road to get here, but we are finally set. Our wallets contain passports, travelers checks and New Zealand currency, our packs are full to the gills with clothes for job interviews, manual labor, and seeing the world, and we seem to finally have all the errands done and loose ends tied up. I'm sure we've forgotten something, but at this point I am confident that all the important things are finished.

So thanks a million to everyone who helped us get this far- those who wrote our recommendations for the BUNAC program, the friends who helped us pack and move, our families of course, my cousin and partner who have put us up for the last few days, and everyone who has supported us the whole time we prepared for this trip. We are infinitely grateful, and will miss you all greatly. We are excited for this next step in our lives, a big adventure as just the two of us, and a chance to explore a new land.

Today we'll get on the plane, fly 7,000 miles, skip over a day, cross the international date line and the equator, enter a new season, and start our adventure (although it could be argued that it started well before today!). As I wrote last time before departing for New Zealand, the thing that is so stunning to me about traveling is that no matter how prepared you are and how much research you have done, you will always be surprised at what you find and astounded by the beauty you discover and the people you meet. I am so excited to embark on this journey and discover new things about the world, my partner, and myself. I have no doubt that we will both come home as different people (in the best of ways, I hope!).
We wish you all well and thank you for traveling vicariously with us. I hope you enjoy the ride. I am happy to say that, at long last, my next post will be from the other side of the world!

So it's over and out, and we'll see you on the flip side!