UNEMPLOYED, PART II

Well, it's official. I have now joined the ranks of the unemployed! I was in Charlotte, North Carolina working as a trainer for National Board. It was a wonderful experience. The people I worked with were wonderful, and Charlotteans are just so nice! I was able to finish early, and came home on Thursday. As the plane was landing, I was thinking that in less than three weeks, I would be back on one again, this time going in the opposite direction for a very long time!

It feels very real now. With only 16 days before departure, we are working hard to get everything done. This weekend was spent packing up boxes and taking things to our tiny 5X10 warehouse space. I told Kevin he must be a master Tetris player, because he made everything fit (with a little brute force)! We are living with the bare bone essentials in an apartment that is so empty, it echoes! This week will be spent running many errands, squeezing in last minute visits, and packing! In fact, Kevin's new real estate purchase showed up last week in the form of a North Face backpack! It is SOOO nice - the BMW of bags. As it will be his home for the next couple of years, it was important to get a good one!

We want to thank all of you again for all of your love and support! So many of you have offered to help, whether by loaning out a truck (thank you Gary/Dad!), loaning a backpack (thank you Shane and Amber!), providing a hot meal (read: all cooking utensils have been packed!), or by purchasing a gift that keeps us in touch with English-speaking short-wave radio stations and the latest weather reports (thanks, Dan!). We often reflect on how overwhelmed we feel (in a good way) at all of the love and support that has so graciously been bestowed upon us from our circle of friends and family. You guys are the best and we hope to represent you and carry thoughts of you through our travels. We hope that you will stay in touch with us, as this is what will keep us going.

Much love and many, many blessings ... Idalis and Kevin

UNEMPLOYED

Hmmmm? I am here at work, sitting at my desk, pecking away at this computer for the last time! Today is finally, and really, my last day of work. Monday morning I will wake up and be unemployed. I will still be working, but this time for myself and for our dreams. Since I last posted, I have accomplished some of the bigger ticket items, such as purchasing travel insurance, getting an international phone and acquiring our visas to India! The remaining duties include clearing out the apartment, packing and taking care of some last minute items. That is the thing with this type of endeavor, most of the important matters can't really be done until the end. It serves to make for some stressful times. It is a good stress though. One that precedes a life altering change.

Idalis is still toiling away in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she wraps up her first week of working for the National board of Professional Teaching Standards! She is such a genius, you have no idea! I am extremely lucky and honored to have found someone so wonderful! She is also the perfect travel companion. The only person I know who can actually endure more inconvenience and hardship than myself, oh and with a smile on her face the whole time.

I actually typed this in a comment on the previous post. I liked it so much, I decided to use it again. It kind of explains our current state of mind. "It is absolutely amazing how little one needs to find happiness. Clutter cuts clarity. Remove the distractions. Remove what does not work. Find peace. Find happiness!" I don't think either Idalis or myself had any idea how many people would be affected by our little decision to travel. It has been incredibly inspiring! One of those little things in life that you don't really expect but that end up presenting an incredible amount of value and life lesson!

As of today, we have twenty-six days until our departure. I can guarantee you that these next twenty-six days will be filled with blood, sweat, tears and incredible emotion! I really wish that we could jam every last one of you into our luggage so you could come along. Since I don't imagine Homeland Security would approve, this blog may be the next best thing. Please promise to check in on us every once in a while and please promise to send us messages. Afterall, you are our only connection back to 'home'!

WE ARE FAMILY

My family has only been gone a few hours and already Kevin and I miss them :( The house is way too quiet and we're not used to all of the space! Eight people may seem like too much for such a small apartment, but it felt just like old times: loud, crowded, and lots of fun! I'm so glad I got to see my parents and my brothers one last time before our trip. It has filled me with a sense of joy and peace, and has made me see how truly lucky and loved I really am. We have not all been in the same room in over 13 years, and I feel that this reunion has helped to heal old, tired wounds and to reconnect with each other. I have an overwhelming feeling of gratitude, and lots to be thankful for.

Rami: Thank you for coming several days in a row just to spend time with us, and for being the first Alvarez family blogger.
Andrés: Thank you for driving through the night just to be here for our party.
Magali: Thank you for being such a wonderful partner to my brother and for making him happy. He is a very lucky guy.
Adrián: Thank you for the entertainment (you may need to replace those guitar strings!) and for being a great salsa partner.
Iván: Thank you for the comedic relief, the best t-shirt ever made, and for your thoughtfulness.
Mami: Gracias por coordinar este viaje, por tomar vino y reirte conmigo, y por el regalo de tu sonrisa.
Papi: Gracias por romper el silencio entre nosotros, por ponerte pantalones cortos, y por nadar en el mar.

I would also like to thank our friends who joined us and spent time with our family. You all made it so special. Now you know why I am the way I am! Thank you, also, to the Perkins family for your continued support, chocolate chip cookies, and for making my family feel so welcomed. A final thank you to my Amor: Thank you for putting up with inflatable beds and lines for the bathroom, for talking to my dad, for making my mom laugh, and for showing my brothers such a great time. My family now knows why I love you so much, since they've been able to experience the same feeling for themselves.

Much love and many blessings to you all ... Idalís

INDEPENDENCE DAY

Lots to celebrate these days. Independence of America from the motherland, the end of fifteen and a half years of employment, the beginning of a trip that is bound to change our lives forever and a celebration of friends and family that are so incredibly special to us. The last few days have been quite profound and incredibly special. From the 'Mid-Life Retirement and Bon Voyage Party' to the late night inpropmptu musical rap session. The party was an overwhelming success and incredibly fun. A total of 142 of our closest friends and family took times out of their busy lives to join us. For this, we are incredibly humbled and honored. Of all the lessons we have learned throughout this process, the incredible importance of friends and family shines through. Last night, after running home from the beach wih tons of party supplies in tow while in the midst of a torrential downpour, we settled into our small seven hundred square foot apartment with twenty people and were serrenaded by Idalis' brothers Ivan and Adrian, my brother Mike, my father Gary and one of my best friends, Nate. It was unplanned, improvised and full of love and emotion. It was incredibly special and Idalis and I were touched by the show of affection and thank everyone involved for their most creative verses!

Idalis' family will leave on Sunday. Despite the house being a mess and possessions being scattered throughout the entire space, we are seriously dreading their exodus. This experience has been incredible for me, so I can only imagine how Idalis and her family must be feeling. I believe that this visit has done so much to reconnect the family and heal whatever wounds may have existed. Everyone of the people that we have been blessed to spend time with over the last few days is so special to us and are extremely beautiful people. I attempted to express this to eveyone at the party in person, and in spite of my jovial spirit, as a result of some spirits, I hope that everyone understood that I was sincere!

Tonight, we get together for what will end up being our version of the last supper with Idalis' family, my family and some of our closest friends. We are so lucky to be surrounded by such wonderful people and again, will carry these sentiments with us as we discover the world, ourselves and each other!

PARTY TIME!

Impossible! I can't believe that July 3rd is upon us. Today is our "Mid-Life Retirement and Bon Voyage Party". It has been a while in the making and has arrived with great haste! We would like to welcome all of you that attend the party live and in person as well as those who will accompany us in cyber space. It has been an incredible ride getting to this point. We hope you all have a wonderful time and continue to share our journey with us!

I LEARNED I LOVE TO GIVE

Today, I learned I love to give. This seemingly simple plan we had to travel has become incredibly profound. Moreso than I would have ever imagined. The best way I can explain it is that a switch kind of goes off in your mind. I don't have any kids and don't dare compare traveling around the world to rearing children, but I have to imagine that they both have similar effects on one's psyche. You see, once a person knows that they are expecting, they begin to go through radical changes. Priorities shift, interests change and focus graduates.

Through the last few months, Idalis and I have worked to minimize and simplify. I find it amazing that everything that is the culmination of two people with 69 combined years of life on this planet will ultimately fit into one 5' x 10' warehouse here at home and two backpacks that will accompany us around the world. We have learned to consolidate and eliminate. In the process, quite unintentionally I might add, we have also learned to almost completely detach from all but the basic of material goods. With the exception of a few sentimental pieces, I have lost most of my lust and desire for things.

This simple lesson in life has brought me to the point that I reached today. In other words, I learned I love to give. The joy of passing on some of what were my most valued possessions to friends, families and even strangers has managed to bring me great pleasure, relief and satisfaction. When you cut it to the quick, you realize that one does not really need much in life to truly be happy. Food, shelter, clothing (optional) and love is enough to sustain a life.

For those of you out there who are actually following this blog, I assume that you may need to brace for what may become a burst of random thoughts, some unintelligible, that will probably be flowing as a result of our radically changing lives. This should also get me in the habit of posting consistently.

Please Enjoy!

FREAK OUT!

Well, it has been almost a month since our last post. To avoid the risk of disappointing our throngs of blog fans, I felt it was time for an update. As I typed this post, I glanced over at the calendar and realized that I have only eleven days of work left. Though, that is not entirely true. As a final hoorah, the City has decided to do everything it can to delay the hiring of my replacement. Originally, I had hoped to have Mario, my replacement, sitting in my chair and getting some formal training prior to my final physical day of work, originally scheduled as Thursday, July 3rd, or as you may remember from a previous post, the day before 'Independence Day'. However, in their infinite wisdom, the HR Department felt it was absolutely necessary to have Mario go through a new physical and background check, even though he is a current emplyee of the City and will simply be transferring from a different department. This snafoo has delayed his eminent arrival. Due to the fact that I have an incredible amount of respect for my boss and hand picked Mario as the most capable incumbent, I have decided to extend my self appointed termination until I feel Mario has had sufficient training.

Idalis and I have officially decided that it is time to start 'freaking out'! The days fly by like they are turbo charged. There is a staggering amount of work still to be done before we depart on August 12th, most of which really cannot be done until the end. We have definately manged to remove some of the bigger items, such as renting the apartment. Christine and Andres have been chosen as the benfactors of a small condo by the beach and will provide Idalis and I with a great deal of security as they are wonderful people and we trust them to take care of our home while we are away. Immunizations continue with Japanese Encephalitis shots on Thursday, June 26th. Our 'Mid-Life Retirement and Bon Voyage Party' is set for July 3rd at BBQ Beach and so far about 100 of our friends, family and co-workers have RSVP'd. A big shout out to our friend Katie for organizing and assisting with the festivities.

Idalis is scheduled to return from her National Board work in Phoenix on Thursday, June 26th, just in time for immunization shots. Idalis' Mom and brother, Ivan, are scheduled to arrive on Monday, June 30th for a week's visit. And we also received some shocking news. Idalis' Dad, who she has not seen in years, and another one of her eight brothers, Adrian, will also be joining us. Idalis then leaves for Charlotte, NC, on July 10th for another round of National Board training. I have warned her that the apartment will be devoid of all furniture when she returns home on or around July 29th. An empty apartment should serve as good practice for some living conditions we may encounter abroad. Now, if I could only install a squat toilet!!!