Twenty four nine oh one and then some.

It’s done.

The summer is done.  Planned.  Scheduled.  Booked!

We have, as of last night, finalized our summer.  Every flight, hotel, room, AirBnB, car, boat, and any and every other form of housing and travel is booked.  

We’ve solidified plans with a few people and are working on secondary plans, days, meetings, etc.  We’ve even gotten our Brewers tickets.  So, I will get to take Kiddo to her first MLB game in Milwaukee and to see the Brewers.  I couldn’t be happier or more excited for that game.  

We’ve even done some math…..

The globe is 24,901mi in circumference.  This summer, we will (by my calculations and using this site) fly and travel approx 26,833mi.  We will circle the globe and have almost 2000 miles to spare.  1932mi to be accurate, but I can just do numbers like that in my head.  

Now, all that’s left is the Visas, closing the year out, closing the house, selling off what we are not taking, breaking the house and our stuff down so it fits in 8 suitcases (or less), and then it’s just getting on a bunch of planes and navigating a ton of airports and seeing a ton of people and friends before we get on the last flight and go to our new home (for at least 2 years) of Shanghai China.  

We, literally, started this process in August after returning from Vietnam.  We updated J’s resume, brushed up cover letters, applied, interviewed, etc etc.  We’ve climbed mountains to get here and still have more to climb.  It is a process, to be sure, but it was quicker and easier this time than last and next time will be smoother yet… we hope.  :P

For now… It’s done.

For now, we wait.  On the agent who is assisting with the Visa process.  Then we wait on the paperwork to come back.  Then we wait on getting an appointment with the Chinese Embassy here in BKK.  Then we wait on our Visa stamps and papers to be done.  Then we pick it all up.  Then we pack.  Then we close the house and life here.  Then we fly.

So, it’s done.  But only a step, not the job.

It will get done, that is no worries, but putting all the pieces together to travel almost 27k miles, multiple lodging needs, multiple cities (both US and International), target dates to hit, personal dates to hit to make sure we could see people, and the planning, dates, coordinating, logistics, calendaring, and all the mundane steps that aren’t worth mentioning was a effort that is worth noting.  J, for her part, was great and did a wonderful job with her parts of it.  Kiddo, for her part, was great and helpful and wonderful.  I just did the air traffic controlling.  

It will be a liberating summer.  We’ve moved across the globe during pandemic.   We’ve survive a two week quarantine together, where J had to work for most of it and we had about 42sq meters total to live in and no windows that would open.  We’ve had our first international job and experience.  Traveled to Vietnam.  Tried to travel to Shenzhen and learned a little something.  J even solo traveled to KL for an interview.  Our summer will end in Zihuatanejo Mexico before our trip to Shanghai and the job and life there.

Like Red in The Shawshank Redemption we will walk those beaches and be free.  We will be us.  We will be, finally, free from the walls that kept us.  “I hope the Pacific is as blue as it is in my dreams.”  As we get closer to leaving, again like Red, I will “hardly be able to sit still I’m so excited.”  I can feel it.  J can feel it.  Kiddo can feel it.  

At the end of it, we will have some dust on our boots and a lot of memories.  Maybe a new Brewers hat for me.  I’m sure we will pick up some clothing and nicknacks in Mexico.  Maybe a magnet to go with our Vietnam magnet.  What we will have is a whole bunch of experiences.

It’s been 8 months of working.  8 months of wondering, planning, efforting, and putting pieces together.  And it’s still not done.  But a HUGE part of it is done.  I couldn’t say that without the efforts (and skills) of J.  We might not even be on this adventure if we never had Kiddo.  We did and we are and here we go.  Next adventure.  Next city.  Next country.  Next stamp in the passport.  

Let’s go, Kiddo… We have it all planned and we get to spend the summer with you and put our toes back in the Pacific.  We get to see a ballgame, meet your cousin, see Uncle Schmittah, and then do taco research.  We get to watch you grow more.  Elephant walk more.  Eat more.  Love more.  And Kiddo to the fullest that you can Kiddo and then some.  It has been effort and will take effort still (that’s a LOT of traveling) but you will be with me and Mumma and Porkchop and a fluff will be there as needed as well.  Keep laughing, smiling, and loving, because that’s what you do best and me and Mumma need that as much as anything else.