The awesomest wedding that we’ve ever been invited to.
The title of this post is not indicative of how we feel about our departure. We prefer to think of it as “see you in a few years”. That being said we are so appreciative of the well wishes and kind words of friends and family.
We have had so many friends and family ask us when we’d like our going away party. Initially Andrew was incredibly opposed to a party because in his mind it’s not farewell. I on the other hand really like the idea of having an excuse to get together with people. That and we are getting really excited about the trip, so to have the opportunity to talk about it is thrilling. Finding time in the schedule however is proving to be hard already.
Another question that has come up is what about gifts? Some of our friends and family would like to give us a going away gift or good luck charm of sorts. These good intentions I get as well. Anyone that has ever set out on a big adventure, or new path in life; you give them a party and a parting gift. It’s common and appreciated. Even I love the chance to give a send-off for friends that are going on a super unique vacation.
The challenge for us is that we are traveling light and any gifts are extra weight. A friend of ours suggested that we share how friends and family can support our journey with a going away gift that is meaningful so we don’t prevent friends from having the opportunity to contribute to our journey. We still have a few odds and ends to buy as we get closer to the date and contributions towards that are very helpful. Another easy option is on our website on the Sponsors page of our website (https://letsridebikes.ca/team/sponsors/). On that site you can make direct contributions to us directly. I know it’s not glamorous and some people prefer to give more personal gifts; but trust me; this is the best way to help right now. A very common item that we are going to purchase is credits on our Yellow Brick satellite device. This is our unit that will log us in our website daily so that everyone knows where we are. It’s a good safety feature and something that will cost money to maintain. We pay $11 each month for the subscription and then $0.10 for every time we tweet, e-mail or update our location. It would be so awesome if you could help us keep you up to date on where we are! Then you can follow us on our live tracker https://letsridebikes.ca/home/tracking/
We are now 36 days from our departure; let the dinners and events with friends begin! Just tonight I went for dinner with two former colleagues that I don’t see often. Tomorrow is dinner with four other colleagues from a previous career; friends I’ve known for over twenty years. Thursday is dinner with some fellow cyclists who found us online who would like to share stories. Saturday is lunch with some former teammates and Sunday is a family dinner. I’m looking so forward to sharing stories; new and old with friends and family in the coming weeks. It will be our last opportunity to do so in person for some time.