Andes to Amazon

June 16, 2006

So after a year and a half of talking about this journey, we are less than two weeks away. This brings up an indescribable feeling that only those of you who have embarked on a life-altering path can truly understand. The anticipation of what we will experience is truly remarkable. Visions of standing on 20,000 ft. peaks, with green valleys below quilted with farms and tiny villages. Jungles filled with life unrivaled by any other place on earth. Dreams of condors flying overhead blocking out the sun as they swoop by. The images of happening upon remote tribes, and settlements are with us. The list could go on forever, and the truth of the matter is it will probably all be wrong. The fact is, we have no idea what we are about to encounter. All of the research, all of the planning, and all of the anticipation in the world can only give us a tiny fraction of understanding for what we are about to do. Sometime a few months back, we decided that this would not be a trip to walk on a schedule, or a set path. Whatever happens, happens. Wherever we end up, we end up. To us, this is the only way to go about this journey. Our goals are clear and they indeed are goals weighted with strong desire. To achieve them: life changing. It is not about the every step of the way purist mentality, it is about the experience; the chance to live free in the woods, in the world. To gain the knowledge about reality, the experience of life. Are we excited? Like you wouldn't believe.

As far as preparations go, at this point we are in the final stages. Packing our packs, to see what fits, though we haven't gotten are actual packs from Granite Gear yet. Finalizing weight and what to take vs. leave is always a challenge with any packing experience, but when you are packing for the heat of the equatorial sea level as well as the summits of 7000m peaks, it isn't easy. We have gotten our shots: Yellow fever, hep A and B, Dengue, MMR, Typhoid, TB, and probably several more that are being forgotten. We have gotten powers of attorney, so that our loving parents may take care of fun things like bills and taxes in our absence, and we have said our goodbyes to friends all over the country. The thousand other things that go into leaving for an undertaking as epic as this are far too many to list, but trust us, there is a lot to do. Now, we are at Deia's parent's house in Ohio. Here, we will continue to sort our gear, and enjoy our last few days in North America. Gregg will be leaving for South Carolina to say goodbye to a friend from the AT and we will meet up again in Cleveland, ready, scared, excited, happy, upset about leaving people we love, and open. Thank you to all of you who have helped in any way. Our parents, our friends, our sponsors, and all of you who believe in us have made this possible.

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