Countdown!

One final week and I leave for DC for the pre-departure orientation, and then, on the 21st, we fly to Dubai. Two weeks later, Qatar, and then a second two- week stint in Kuwait. The plan is to be back in Colorado -appreciating the cool summers and the crisp fireworks - on the eve of Independence Day. In the meantime, I’ve decided to quash my fatalist thoughts about leaving for an extended period of time and get down to the nitty-gritty business of trip preparation now that the semester has come to a close. I’ve also become more determined to stop these apologist tendencies when it comes to travel, because let’s face it, this won’t be the last time our family does something just a little insane and/or unconventional. (Fingers crossed for a month long USA bike ride with Casey and Eli in 2011). Whether it’s a trip to Kuwait or Kansas, far too many adventures await those who want to spend their hard earned cash on experiences rather than stuff. One of the wonderful things about reaching what Richard Ford calls “the Middle Period” (because let’s face it, we’re now in that demographic) is that you know what you value.

A favorite quote, lifted from Barbara Kingsolver’s character “Hallie” in the novel, Animal Dreams, reads like poetry, yet cuts straight to the core:"The very least you can do in your life is figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance, but live right in it, under its roof."


So, following Hallie’s words, on Sunday we spent an incredible Mother’s Day cycling up to Gateway Park in the Rockies. It was an uplifting experience, due in large part to all sorts of serendipitous moments, such as cycling alongside a train for most of the in-town journey, enabling us to blow every stop light through Ft Collins as pedestrians waved, and cars idled impatiently. It was also the day of the Colorado Marathon, so we watched runners trudging and slicing and jogging and speeding their way through the Poudre Canyon, as we rode up, up, up, cheering them down, down, down to the finish line. Eli slept amazingly well in his sling (courtesy of Mike and Kathy), looking quite comfy in the “Wike” for what turned out to be a good 40-mile sunburn free ride. A lunch of chocolate covered strawberries (thanks, Kathy!), enough red peppers to stain a person’s face, and string cheese galore - and we eventually made it home in time to feed the Kiwi the Wonder Dog.

Next weekend: a night up at the Poudre with a tent over our heads, living inside the hope.

Will do my best to post images and stories from the Arabian/Persian Gulf. Apologies for the syrupy tone of this post, but I am hap-hap-happy to be alive. Best Mother's Day EVER.