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Published: November 5th 2006
Friends, Relatives and Co-Workers...Thank You
We just returned from a night out with our dear friends Don and Lindsay Mears. We went to BW3s for dinner (to continue our all American food binge) and then went to Starbucks to have drinks and play games for most of the evening. As the evening drew to a close we returned to Don and Lindsay's house to take some photos with them so that we could have pictures to show people while we travel and something to make us feel better when we get home sick. Don gave us a usb jump drive with a bunch of pictures on it so that we can have the pictures with us wherever we go. The idea was completely Don's and while we haven't looked at the pictures yet due to strict instruction to wait until we feel we really need them while traveling, I greatly appreciate the fact that our friends care enough to give us something more important than tangible objects....they have given us memories of the support and love we receive here at home.
This lead me, on the drive home, to think about how I feel at this point in our journey. I know some of you are questioning right now, "What journey, they haven't left yet?" It may be hard to believe for those of you who think about what we are doing as a giant vacation, but it takes a lot of planning, execution and more importantly emotional fortitude to accomplish what we are attempting. So, as I was driving home with Kel, my last few minutes with Don and Lindz were flashing through my mind and my emotions were running rather deep. As we left Don and Lindsay's house we all hugged each other and had the sudden realization that we were going to miss a year of each other's lives. Don and Lindz will be having their first child in March and Kel and I won't be there to support them and, of course, our lives will be a constantly changing tumultuously wonderful and exasperating series of new experiences and Don and Lindz won't be with us to share the good and the bad. As the drive commenced, Kel notice me being quiet and asked me how I was doing and I told her that I was sad about leaving Don and Lindz behind. We both commented on the fact that we really appreciated the work Don had done getting us pictures and Kel mentioned something that caught my attention, she said, "...more than the pictures Don gave us, Don gave us something more precious, his time..." It dawned on me in that moment that many of you out there reading this have given many precious things to us.
There are many ways to give and usually we, as humans, have the tendency to overlook the more important ways that we give to each other. The most noticed acts of giving involve tangible items such as Christmas presents, Birthday presents, etc., but the more important acts of giving involve time, effort, love and support. All of you have given us these things in one form or another.
I want to take a quick moment to thank a few specific people:
- John and Bonnie: Thank you for your unconditional support for the many things Kel and I attempt, even when you think we are completely nuts! Thanks for your help with all of administrative work necessary to make this trip successful, we realize that this will involve time, effort and probably some stress. We will never be able to thank you enough!
- Bruce and Leslie: Thank you for the support and love that you constantly give us. You are the rock on which Kel rests and I will always be thankful for the love and support that you give.
- Don and Lindsay: You are as much a part of our family as any blood relative could be. Thank you for the humor and support you provide. Sharing our lives with you has been a great joy of ours. If I could have it my way we would bring you with us and experience the world with you.
- Co-Workers and Friends from Capital One: There are too many of you to mention specifically and I am sorry for that fact. Thank you all for being supportive to us and helping us through these last 8 months of planning. Your constant interest and questions only helped spur us forward and keep us on the right track.
- Any of you who read this blog: Thank you for taking time out of your lives to read this journal. The only reason I take the time to write this is in the hopes that some of you will read it, enjoy it and maybe learn something from it along the way. We have currently 107 people signed up on the journal and tend to get between 100-140 reads on every journal which excites me and keeps me writing. As the year progresses I expect that number to dwindle, but for those of you who continue to read...Thank You for making this a worthwhile experience.
Thank you all for your time, support, effort and Love. We can never thank you enough for everything you've done and may do for us of the course of the next year. You have made all of this possible for us and for that we can never thank you enough!!
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Brian Yanofchick
non-member comment
Hello from St. Louis
Hey, Kelley. Sounds like you and Mike are off to a great adventure. It's fun to keep up with you all here. Safe travels!