this summer i have found myself waking up at 5 am and not able to go back to sleep, and my recent trip to astoria was no exception. since i was in a four person dorm style hostel room, i decided to just go ahead and get up and walk the river until a coffee shop opened up. with the cool coastal air mixed with a warm cup of coffee, i contemplated why i was waiting to start my walk until i turned 50. why was i waiting a year and a half? whats the point? have more money saved up? be better prepared? i could go to kansas in may when my niece graduates from high schools (and so many may birthdays), why don’t i make a long visit, toss in some explorations of colorado, and just leave when i get back? these questions came up no matter where i went: sitting outside a funky bar talking to some locals, walking the beach as the sunset, drinking fantastic beer in the sunshine…and i had no answers.

some of the biggest logistical things that have kept me confused are what happens when our lease is up in may? what if i can’t find anything affordable to live in until i am ready to leave (this is super real in the portland housing market)? plus i am ready to go. i am already in the frame of mind of preparations. everyone i talk to is super supportive. why wait?

so i’m not!

i am going to plan a trip to kansas /colorado/utah in may and then come back, put on the pack and leave! that gives me 8 months, roughly, to get it all together as much as possible. at this point i just kind of have to wait and see what kind of winter we will be having to know what direction i want to go, or if it’s a high snow year, how i can skirt around it as much as possible in the early season.

so, there you have it! i upped the time frame and its all systems go! i’ve got plans to talk to work about how my schedule might change so that i can make the plans and take some classes to learn a few more skills. i’ll need to take off and dial in a few new pieces of gear ans systems for more versitility. locate resupply options. do some fundraising.