And we're off...!

Well, we made it! Thanks to ma and pa McCurdy and some last minute scrambling from our friends, we are finally off.

And we are exhausted.

After a final serving of Big Dill Eggs at the Walnut Cafe on Thursday morning we put the last few things in the storage unit and headed off to the airport. But what to do now? After about eight months of preparation and stress, what are we supposed to do? Count on Brett to have a plan. Unknown to Jenny, I booked us three days at the Sahhali Bed & Breakfast on Pender Island off the coast of Vancouver (basically the Canadian version of the San Juan islands). Wow - now we can relax.  We have spent the last few days sleeping in, reading, taking naps, and basically being taken care of by our host, Michelle, in one of the most amazingly beautiful places I have ever seen.  Click on our photos link to see what we've been waking up to every morning.  A-mazing!

But this is not the start of just one journey... On top of a gorgeous bluff, 400 feet above the Pacific, with blue skies, a warm sun, and a truly unrivaled view, I asked Jenny to marry me. I am the happiest man in the world (oh yeah, she said yes) and could not ask for a better companion on this grand adventure.

And tomorrow we're off to Beijing!  We've spent the last few days reading all we can about this amazing country and we are looking forward to the first real adventure of this trip.
Thanks to all who helped make this trip happen.  Let the adventure begin!