The Great Escape

Written by Karen.

At 7:38 am, after literally working all-night, our little caravan consisting of Chinook and our VW Tiguan pulled out of our driveway for the last time. Our new tenants are expected to pull into our driveway at 8:00 am and begin moving into our home, which they will now call their home for the next nine months. We beat the clock by some 22 minutes.

Meet Chinook

Fish Camp, California

Written by Karen.

Last week, we were standing on the driveway talking with one of the guys who was putting a new roof on our house.  He was asking about our '84 VW Vanagon - our beater named Chinook.  So named because whenever we went on a road trip, like the massive salmon that is DNA-programmed to swim upstream to return home, he somehow always got us home again. Whatever adventures, breakdowns, or mechanical issues that we experienced out on the road, we still got home safely and usually with a tale or two!  

Those Dratted Details

Paris, France

Written by Karen.

Well, the saga of wrapping things up around here continues.....we are beyond busy as we strive to reach our goal of beginning our travel adventure early/mid October.  

Almost There...

Written by Karen.
We are fast approaching the moment when we will reach out, turn the handle, open the door and walk across the threshold and start a new journey into the unknown.  

A travel journey that Adam and I have chosen to take together and that we expect will bring additional changes and new perspectives to how we live, think, eat, and experience life.  In short, we are finally ready to jump off the cliff and spread our wings!  First stop: South America.

Is The Pursuit of Dreams Selfish?

Written by Karen.

I was having a conversation recently with a person that I know casually, when he asked, ”You know, you already have a great life, live in a great community, have a great career, drive great cars, but yet you want more?  Isn’t that a little selfish?”

Progress Report

Written by Karen

Heading for open seas with an uncertain horizon

Oh, the twists and turns of life!  When we decided that we were going to take a year – or two – and go travel the world, I started planning. Adam quickly took the approach that we would depart on our travel adventure whenever we were ready to go, and that planning would only serve to frustrate us.  I took the project management approach that we needed deadlines, timelines, markers, and objectives in order to meet our goal.  How else do we plan for an event like this?  How else would we know that we are making progress towards reaching our goal?  

Essentials - Yes, Less is More

Written by Karen

Full boil reduction

There is more than a slight bit of irony that we are now working so hard to winnow down the amount of things that we have worked so hard to acquire.  In cooking, this winnowing process is similar to the process of simmering something down to its essence, or creating a reduction as a chef would call it.  As you boil liquids down to a more concentrated and flavorful taste, less liquid and more concentrated flavor is the more in this case. 

Flashback: Munich, Germany - Oktoberfest! - September 2010

Written by Adam

After paying a visit to the Porsche factory in Zuffenhausen, the very next morning we made our way by train into nearby Stuttgart.  We then set our sights upon paying a brief visit to Munich, where the 200th Anniversary celebration of Oktoberfest was imminent.  Even being essentially a white wine kind of guy, I still wanted to go if at all possible.  

Travel Budgeting 101

Written by Karen

Two of the most frequently asked questions that I receive about our upcoming around-the-world travel adventure relate to our budget: How are we budgeting for this trip, and how much do we think this trip will cost us?

Flashback: Zuffenhausen, Germany - September 2010

Written by Adam

Sometimes the seeds that finally sprout to see a particular part of the world are planted years before you actually arrive.  Visiting Zuffenhausen, Germany is one of those exact situations, at least for me.

When I was about twelve years old, I went to the movies with my father and younger brother.  We all drove over to the Century 21 Theater in San Jose, California, home of a big screen and an even bigger sound system - at least in those days.  We saw a double feature way back when.  The first movie was Grand Prix, starring a youthful James Garner playing a Formula One racecar driver.  Open wheel racing, exotic European circuits and locales, but other than that, I don’t remember very much about the plot.

Day Trip to Napa Valley

Written by Karen

A gentle-sloped vineyard in Napa Valley

It’s a relatively short driving distance from the Bay Area, but it is a different world when you arrive in Napa Valley.  So, we took a day trip to Napa Valley with some friends of ours yesterday. It was an opportunity to catch up, hang out, sample some great wines, eat good food, and enjoy the unseasonably warm weather.  

Downsizing - Lessons Learned So Far.

Written by Karen

Santa Cruz, California

When Adam and I determined that we would take a year or so sabbatical away from our current lifestyle and travel around the world, we started to downsize. It was a practical decision.

In the Bay Area, storage facilities start at $200/month for roughly the size of a suburban bedroom. That’s not much space when you consider we currently have a 1400 square foot house with 3 bedrooms, 2-1/2 bathrooms and a full garage. Even with significant reductions to the amount of stuff we currently have, it will still be an expensive proposition to store and manage whatever household items that we decide to keep. So, starting to reduce the amount of stuff we had accumulated over the past twenty-five years was a motivating factor in our decision to downsize.

Downsizing - Packing up the Glass Studio.

Written by Karen

Color and Light - Karen's Studio

I have avoided this task for weeks, but I finally began to pack up my studio this weekend.  This is a big deal. Adam created this beautiful space for me in the back corner of our garage some eight years ago.  It has functional walls that define my own space, a glass door to the side yard, and color, storage and a venue for all of my glass artistry. 

How to travel well. Together.

Written by Karen

Tokyo, Japan

Whether you are traveling together for a weekend getaway or for a longer international trip, your ability to travel well together will determine the overall success of your trip. 

Bottom Line - South Korea

Written by Karen

Gets confused with barking and parking!

I spent a day tracking our travel expenses at home - a mere six weeks after we returned from South Korea!   When it comes to money already spent, what’s the rush?

Our average cost per day for two travelers visiting South Korea was $135.63 USD.  All expenses are shown in USD and use the exchange rate at the time of our trip, which was 1,000 won to .865 cents USD.  We visited South Korea for 11 days in mid-to-late October, 2011. We included all accommodation, travel and food/drink costs during our visit. 

View from the Streets - South Korea

Roof panorama

Orchid display at the Westin, Haeundae Beach

Splurge lunch at the Westin

Busan Aquarium - intricate design and colorful fish

Busan Aquarium - eels

Busan Aquarium - shrimp

School kids shoes neatly placed

Kids playing on Haeundae Beach

Haeundae Beach

Downtown Busan

Busan at sunrise

Korean family watching the huge clock in Seoul Station

Let's go....

Seoul Train Station

Older neighborhood storefronts

High rise building reflection

Reading the daily posted newspaper

Juxtaposition of old and new

Typical alleyway with shops and homes

Traditional building style

One of my favorite hot soups: fresh noodles, veggies and a light broth

Noodle house

The standard condiments offered at every meal: kimchi and pickled yellow radish 

Lunch - hot soup with vegetables, pork and egg

Doors as walls

Peek of a garden through an open door

2 dogs standing guard - racing up and down the top of this 12 foot high fence

Spicy cold "gazpacho-like" soup

Typical street in the Hongik University (Hongdae) area

Laundry drying on the back of the ubiquitous scooter

Typical night scene in the Hongik University (Hongdae) area

Street art below our studio in the Hongik University (Hongdae) area

Adam's thumb being swallowed by a chicken at a Korean BBQ restaurant

Sadly, this was closed on the day we walked by

Six foot high rooster

Lake in front of the National Museum

Adam in front of a door that was 5'6" high

Enclosed stairway to get up to the second floor that was maybe twelve inches wide

A quiet morning in the Hongik University (Hongdae) area

Delivery scooters.  These dart around against traffic, on the sidewalks and around pedestrians to make a variety of everyday deliveries.  We saw rolls of carpet, fresh fish and food being delivered on the back on these scooters.  Anything that we are used to being delivered in a truck could be delivered on the back of a scooter.  

Street art near Hongik University (Hongdae)

Street art near our studio in the Hongik University (Hongdae) area

Street art near our studio in the Hongik University (Hongdae) area

Food options

Looking out our studio kitchen window 

Seoul Night Moves

Walking past the street vendors

Lunch - cool noodles, meat, veggies, egg and a wonderful cold spicy sauce

Deep, dark, intense colors

Typical containers outside of the doorway

Flowers in full bloom

Cars whizzing by a temple in downtown Seoul

Dongdaemon shopping district in downtown Seoul

Street art in downtown Seoul

Dragon tile

Typical Sunday afternoon

Adam pouring rice wine

Gorgeous fall colors

Shinsegae, Centum City, Busan. This is the world's largest department store.  It is huge.  There are multiple levels that go on as far as the eye can see.  It would take days to see every department offered in this store.  

Outside coffee-shop in downtown Seoul

Adam wandering through neighborhood shops

Walking through the neighborhood streets

Temple close up

Downtown Seoul

Autumn leaves over the Palace walls

Street vendor making a type of candy nougat.  Although we didn't speak each other's language, he kept saying "Beautiful America - thank you."  We met a lot of people who expressed their gratitude for what the US did for them during the Korean War.  His candy was delicious.

Downtown Seoul

Dongdaemon shopping district in downtown Seoul

Seoul Tower

Tiny, family-owned dumpling shop.  At night, you can see the steam billowing out the open front window.  The dumplings are made from scratch and are absolutely wonderful.  We rarely saw this place without a line in front of the shop.  One dumpling was about .87 cents and made for a perfect late-night "comfort food" snack.

Polish Embassy

Fishing nets neatly wrapped into baskets.  We wandered into a small fishing village and watched a fisherman lay out his fishing nets in the parking lot next to the ocean.  After making sure they were in good order, he wrapped them into these baskets for use the following day.  

Beautiful fall colors

Whole-wheat fried rice with veggies on a hot skillet

Men playing games.  The entire park was filled with several hundred men playing this board game.

Active night life - typical street scene with lots of street food options.

Cheonggyecheon Stream Park.  An old highway used to cover this stream.  Several years ago, as part of an urban renewal project, the highway was removed and the stream recovered.  It is now a beautiful urban park that you can enjoy as you meander through downtown Seoul.

Where am I?

Mobile street vendors.  We saw these little Toyota minivans or VW busses converted into tiny food trucks throughout Seoul.  They would drive up and set up shop for the evening.  This one sold dumplings.  

Downtown Seoul

Kids playing soccer

Shadow portrait of Adam and Karen