Space Odyssey 2010

January - April
South America
Chile - Argentina - Brazil - Columbia - Ecuador- Peru
This trip is intended as an introduction to South America for me, and gives Rodolfo a bit of a chance to visit friends, hang with fam, stuff like that. It's going to be awesome! And hopefully after that spanish class I'm taking, I may just be able to order my own food this time around!

May
MN/Madtown
For a mini pit stop refresher! Just in time for the great weather! Hmmm....was that planned?

June - July
Africa
South Africa - as Rodolfo likes to gloat - to go visit the world cup!
Rodolfo (to my horror a few months back) randomly put our names, passport numbers and his credit card information into a drawing to win tickets for cheap to see Chile play. This is going to be an experience of a life time!
cheap = $500 for 3 games (two tickets per game)

August - October
Europe
Germany - Italy - Hungary - Slovenia - Turkey - England - Ukraine
It was decided between my husband and I that an exchange was in order. If he gets to go to the World Cup, I get to go to Octoberfest! A deal is a deal! We're hoping to visit friends and check out Europe along the way....specifics not allowed...we'll be going with the flow!

November
MN/Madtown
Just in time for my B-day!

December
Asia
Malaysia - Thailand - Laos - China - Japan
We were intending to begin our travels with a trip to Asia, but this will work out a bit better for the schedule. We want to spend quite a bit of time in Asia with less time restrictions, and we'll be more travel saavy by this point!

***Due to travel restrictions getting Rodolfo thru the immigration process, he can't leave the country for more then 6 months at a time. You'll notice the handy breaks inbetween trips. Return date from Asia? Not really sure...we have to get to the other 4 continents first! We'll see how much money we have left I guess.

OK. Gloating over. Back to normal life!

No more squatage!

As yet another part of the complex plan that is:

TRAVELING THE ENTIRE WORLD!

We couldn't sign a year long lease.

In a college town all leases run August 15th to August 14th. It's a dead given.

What does Sarah do?

Why she hops on to Craigslist of course!

She may happen to post an add out of random hysteric potential homeless fear:

$700 Aug-Dec sublet needed (Downtown Madison)

---

Reply to: hous-up2wd-1239719288@craigslist.org ^{[Errors when replying to ads?]}
Date: 2009-06-25, 4:51PM CDT

My husband and I are looking for a 1-2 bedroom apartment/loft from August to December/January (move in/out dates negotiable as is price)
We're leaving the country to travel mid January, so we can't sign a year lease.
We are clean and responsible with no pets. A downtown location is a must, everything else is flexible.

• Location: Downtown Madison
• it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

3 weeks ago:

"Hi. I saw on craigslist that you are looking for temporary housing. I have a home in Madison, but am out of the country. I need soemone to rent it until January. When I come home. It is a 100 year old 4 bedroom home with a back yard, patio, family room, living room with a fireplace, dining room, off street parking, etc. I have not been home in months and the last people that rented it did not pay the rent regularly (and left me with a huge electric bill). Anyways, I am a science teacher in Costa Rica and will be home to show it to interested people next week"

BINGO!

So, time goes by. we arrange a meeting. What next?

1 day before arranged meeting:

I'm sorry to contact you so late. The house is not in any shape to rent to anyone. The last people left it a mess and there are holes in the walls, etc I'm very sorry.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Well, we ended up talking her in to letting us see it anyway. Turns out interesting people had been living there with interesting tastes in home decorating...and some klepto issues. The last tenant also happened to sublet out her place while not paying rent, you know, to get that last bit of assholery in.

However! As of yesterday! The house is squator free! A lease is signed! and locks are getting changed! Beginning August 1st, we'll have our first entire house living experience!

WHOO HOO!!!!

STUFF!

I never realize how much crap I have until I move.

When that day comes (August 3rd), and I'm suddenly conscious of the pounds...yes, I see it in pounds...POUNDS! of things I will be personally hauling on my own back to

my new abode, it

quickly helps to decide what I need and what I can live without.....does my roommate always agree with me? Nope.

This being said, as painful as a moving experience can be, I occassionally look forward to it now!

It's a great time of reflection and change, looking at what things I used to really love that is crap and what junk I can't possibly live without.

Staring at my poundage, I always think of my poor grandparents, with their cartons and boxes stowed away in the their garage, slowly decaying over time... none of it can ever be thrown away or sorted out to be given away or sold based on one little nagging, annoying, cringing question....

"What if we need it again some day?"

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

It's only annoying, because it's so true! And I HATE IT! No matter what object it is that is under discussion, no matter how much I've used and abused it or not so much, I at one point in my life saw it in a store, stared at it, considered it, bought it, and put it in my room.

Here are a few nagging objects on the chopping block:

6 bottles of lotion: (1 pound)

Really? I mean, REALLY?!?! 6 Sarah? Why do you need 6 lotions? Yes, you're a girl, and they are all different scents and colors, but really?

2nd coffee table: (5 pounds)

It's a perfectly adequate coffee table, and

quite charming....but it's sitting in a corner with stuff on it...the stuff can sit somewhere else! Like, the floor!

Empty book case: (15 pounds)

ok...here's the history: We got it from a friend who was moving, it's too tall and too big to put anywhere normal, so we put it in our bedroom where it holds...ready? NOTHING! It's just hanging out for....don't really know! I once took it apart screw by screw and stuck in a closet when Rodolfo left town for a weekend. When he got back, he put it BACK TOGETHER! Die evil undead bookcase!

5 non matching mugs: (1 pound)

All, of course, probably free from one such and such and another such and such. Have we ever used them? No. Will we ever use them? Probobably not! Will we ever get rid of them?....here it is...But...what if we need them some day?!?!?!?

Gag me.

It's the curse of the stuff.

There are always those items you know you're going to ditch...it's all part of the cleansing ritual....you've maybe even looked forward to it for a few months..."just you wait ugly pair of pants! You may be in my closet now! But come moving day!"

And there's the stuff you really love, but know you should probably toss....like your planner from 6 years ago, or that one pair of boots that looks so cute, but hurts your toes...umm...err....the pain is still too close....can't...talk about it...sigh...

Hopefully we all get thru our upcoming moves in one piece and hope the best for those things unfortunate enough to hit the street corner. May they find a good and happy home!

Trading and Bartering

I've made a major financial decision among many in order to be ready for our year long travels.
This is not big news for most, because I'm a cheap skate, but!
A major question asked when you tell people you are quitting your job for a year is this:
How are you going to pay for it?
Good question!

Over the past 4 years since graduating from college, I've created a savings account. What? Saving money? This is crazy!

So yes, we have funds available, but in all honesty, most of this measly savings was not meant for this trip, but my future Chilean bakery business I'll be starting up in about 5 years from now.

Which brings us to today, or rather 3 days ago, when I made my most extreme, irrational decision ever and am going to stick to it!

For the next 6 months, I'm not going to purchase anything that won't be:

• consumed immediately
• improve our immediate quality of life
• be used for the trip

That may not seem so specific but it is!

No purchasing of:

• condiments (includes spices, herbs and mayo)
• cookware
• major appliances
• canned beans
• clothes non trip related
• (ok, Mayo may fall under: necessity)
• giant bulk purchases of things...like rice!
• random stuff that comes up that you kind of want but don't really need
• anything on clearance! (that's my weak spot, I'll admit!)
• furniture
• you get the idea

The one loop hole to this rule?
Trading and Bartering. If I don't pay for it, it doesn't count!

Just yesterday I traded a pile of books for a travel guide book on South Africa!
I traded a pair of pants for a pair of travel friendly Victoria Secret Sweat Pants!
The possibilities are endless!

I've also discovered a great project going on in Madison that is surprisingly popular!
It's called a TimeBank!
It's kind of like craigslist, but no money involved. You do some form of work for someone else and in return, you can get an hour of work from someone else, but it can be almost anything! Car help! A ride to the airport! Music lessons! Spanish lessons! Babysitting! Cool right?

It's all about the giving and the taking. I just finished my orientation this week, so we'll see how it goes! No money is involved, just connecting with your neighbors and community. It's a cool idea anyway, and keeps Sarah centered on the goal.

Goal = trip = save lots of money

Eye on the prize my friends!!! I'm on it!

So, if you are feeling the itch to trade in some stuff for some other stuff, let me know!
Hello moving weekend! Curbside hunting here I come!

bloggity blog blog blog

Yes, there is life beyond a wedding, it's called marriage!
AHHHHHH!!!!
To be honest, it's great, absolutely, definately without a doubt the best. Woudn't have it any other way from here on out...which is good I guess, because there is no way out!
HWA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!

I thought it would be fun to keep everyone updated on our lives, mainly for one reason which I will share with you now...totally selfish but I don't care.

While going thru stuff getting ready to move, I found a lot of journals from college, essays, papers, letters, yadda yadda, and man, I wrote some good stuff! Not war and peace level, but occassionally, I have something interesting to say, and occassionally someone might want to read it....which written down like that, sounds super laaaaaame.

Plus, we're getting ready for a year long global trip to better ourselves, who doesn't want to hear about that?
That's right!

So, keep updated! Life doesn't end when you get married, it just gets a little weirder!