We’re a family of long and often multiple goodbyes. Most family functions include so many people that it takes a good 30 min for someone to do a proper farewell. If out at a restaurant, there will be the typical goodbyes said at the table, once the meal is complete, there will be the goodbyes as we all walk out of the restaurant and to the parking lot, then there will be juuuust a bit more conversation before someone finally breaks down or gets the group together for one, final, lasting, culminating …. “see ya later, alligator”.

Annie and I have bee saying goodbye, it seems like, for a month and a half. We’ve been talking about our trip for a while and have seen a lot of folks multiple times since first discussing the trip. Everytime the topic comes up, Annie and I both light up and people really seem to enjoy hearing about it. Then the conversation typically meanders through to the ultimate question "When you leaving, again?" ... "Aug 19th" ... "Oh shoot, well I'll see you before then. See ya later." Annie and I are ready... ready for the "alligator" part.

That being said, the last two and a half weeks since leaving Boston and Medullan have been great. A week in Vermont with family and friends, then a week on Block island, pulling together a wedding (Annie's cousing Jessica and her Beau Paul)...all the while enjoying the sights, sounds and of course when meeting new people, talking about the trip.... talking through our plans (or lack there of), learning about people's experiences with the places we may visit, and hearing about the friend, who knows a guy, who knows a guy, who lives near the area that we may visit. So with all that talk, comes the further yearning to get going, to start the adventure and start walking the walk.

One thing Annie and I have both been able to do recently, before taking off, is visit our grandparents. My trip to see gram was last, happening just this morning. I was lucky enough to roll in to find my dad's sister, aunt sue there (she takes care of gram a bit during the week). We had a few laughs while catching up on all the big doin's - she got a great perm (!) and is doing her best to enjoy the company she keeps at the elderly group she meets with three times a week, and that she prefers the walker to the cane (keep pushin her Momma!) . It was one of those invaluable 20 minutes, the perfect "see ya later, alligator".

So now we're ready to go and I KNOW that people are ready to see us off. So although it may have been a long goodbye, even by my family's standards, it seemed about right to me and the perfect send off to this adventure of a lifetime.