Trip Summary

So I spent 58 days away from home.

Of those 58, about 30 were at an elevation above 10,000 feet.

Of the 30 days above 10,000 feet, 20+ were in a tent.

35 days in Nepal

23 in Tibet

I was in Bangkok 4 days.

Spent a day in Pokara.

Of 35 days in Nepal, Kathmandu was probably 14.

I took over 2400 photos.

I had over 100 movie segments.

Made several new friends.

Had one helluva time.

Drive Home - Day 10

Boise ---> Spokane ---> Seattle = 13 hours.

Nice flowers.

Day 14 - Travel and Reflection

So overall, Mrs Dirtbagger and I had a great time on this trip. As we sit in the Starbucks in London airport ready to fly back to the Left Coast, I reflect on how traveling with this crew was a total blast. Everone was really fun, easy to get along with and total troopers. Best memories:

• Majeed, Mohammed and the rest of the guys working their assess off to make sure we were comfortable.
• Bill sick as hell riding on that mule, not willing to quit, no matter how shitty he felt.
• 71 year old Jeff, the crass old luddite, smoking a pipe @ every mountain summit.
• Mick's amazing sense of wit and humor.
• Hanging out on our last day with Teresa and Andrew, the coolest daughter/father team I've ever met.
• Phil and Christine, having fun together.
• Ian's quite demeanor and determination to make it to the top.
• John doing Paul "geordie" impressions, and Carol "baking like a cake" in the sun.
• Paul's "need" to go for a run, and his great attitude, especially with John doing impressions.
• Tom, doing a fantastic job pulling it all together.
• Our evening dinners together. Every night, I couldn't wait to get into that tent and see what was going to happen, and what we were going to discuss. I've never laughed SO hard on a vacation in all my life. Thank you all.

Now a visit to London, then time to head home!

Hmmmm what now

I've not blogged our adventures in 8 months....How do I start again considering so much (or so little) has happened?

Enough

OK, so we've just spent several days unpacking. What a drag. We were able to haul a load to the dump and a load to goodwill, however we've still got tons of new house projects. Instead, I think we'll go on another vacation. This time, the Oregon Coast with my Sis and her clan!

Nearly 3 weeks later.....

Us after the road trip. 20 days, 8 states, and 4260 total miles later.

The Setup

Our History: After countless years in the corporate world, it's time to say the hell with it. It's a new year, and time to do some new things, so we are quitting our high paying, high tech, high stress jobs on January 31st, 2005.

Our Title: It's a combination of a midlife crisis and living cheaply. Yea, we're over 30, and dirt bagging is a term borrowed from the rock and mountain climbing hippies. Work a job, save up enough money and go live off that money in a low or no cost, minimalistic style. This life is generally frowned upon in today's materialistic society. It should be fun. I mean who doesn't enjoy a road trip? It's a total piece of americana.

Our Plan: Buy a good cheap travel trailer, and travel throughout the western United States going on 2-3 week road trips, come home for a while and then take off again. Yep, this is good white trash living @ it's finest.

Our Crew: Mr Dirtbagger, Mrs Dirtbagger, our Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Kuri, aka KurDog, aka Missy, aka Brown Dog, aka Fish Sauce, aka Woo McGoo AND a fat black cat named Spookamo, aka Dorkmier, aka Dorkmeer, aka Hootie, aka Hootie Dootie, aka Jabba the Butt, aka Sphincter Boy, aka Buttmier.

Message to Family

So guess what's new? Everything?

In light of recent developments and due to an urge to try somethingnew....we have decided to retire. Yes, that is correct, Brad can't bethe only one to attempt this! We are officially quitting our jobs, selling everything, downsizing and moving to a new location in Washington. See new house photos attached.

What you say? And When? Well, officially end of January we will beamong the unemployed. We are buying a new travel trailer and will betooling around the North American continent visiting parks and such. When we get bored we might start a business of our own. I think it's called dirt-baggin', but whatever it is, we're doin' it.

Our furry children will not be requiring a college education (Kuri is a bright girl but home-schooled, Spookamo is a 'tard and ain't got no schoolin', but we love him). So we have no obligations and have decided on a new life style far from the elegant ivory towers, internationaltravel in business class seats, 5-star lunchrooms, corporate phones/cars/pagers and let us not forget the back stabbing, gossip mongering, brown nosers, clueless managers, 60 hour work weeks, endless meetings and thousands of emails.

We are joining the ranks of the "We live on a fixed income, subscribe to AARP and Trailer Life Magazine" retired. No more fancy Christmas gifts or Birthday gifts from us so please reset your expectations. When we visit we will not be arriving in an airplane, instead look for us to pull up in your driveway in our trailer - hope you have hook-ups, especially the sewer! Yes it's shocking and daring but we have been fortunate to have just enough investments to get by, supportive friends and family and a new outlook on life in general. We are going for the gusto!