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The journey has begun - finally! After years of planning and endless talking, we’re on our way to New Zealand. A year and a half in Pittsburgh sure got us motivated… To be fair, though, for those of you who don’t already know this, Pittsburgh was voted the number one most livable city in the country. I think that was the day we left…
The odyssey began with a long weekend in New York with Amy. We will never forget the llama love or lunch overlooking the stream. Next we moved on to Connecticut for Lisa and Bruce’s wedding. It was a beautiful ceremony on a gorgeous day. Thanks to everyone who let us crash the family party and made us feel so welcome. It was wonderful meeting all the Aussies and South Africans who got us even more excited (if that’s possible!) to travel. We will definitely take you all up on your offers of hospitality - can’t wait to visit!
The morning after the wedding we headed back to Pittsburgh for a week of HELL… Everything we own (minus the stuff in our backpacks and the necessary items for Ethan’s wedding) was miraculously crammed into a
The empty apartment
We were sad to leave it behind... Except for the Dueling Pianos next door! (Notice the liger on our door.) 10’ x 10’ storage unit. Biggest jigsaw puzzle we’ve ever successfully completed… At least we got to hit a few of our favorite places one last time (you gotta love Crack bread at the Doublewide, Primanti’s at 3 a.m., and a Vinnie Pie to fortify you for a spirited tournament of Connect 4!). After one final drink overlooking the city (and a slightly lopsided food swap at Cori and Jason’s - damn, those Girl Scout cookies were good!) we left the Yinzers behind.
After 5 hours on the lovely, scenic, nearly construction-free Pennsylvania Turnpike (those of you in the know should be able to see the sarcasm dripping off those words…) we arrived in Langhorne for a week with Erin’s friends and family. A day at Tyler Park, many delicious meals (including two lunches from Brothers! …MMM… cheeseteaks….), a visit to Ethan and Kate’s new house, time spent with family, and a historic night out at the ‘Horne (first time in YEARS that we were all there together!) made the week FLY by.
Before we knew it we were in the Lake Wallenpaupack area for Ethan’s wedding. The ceremony was wonderful (it even included a surprise visit by
John Denver!), the weather was perfect, and the reception was a lot of fun. It was great to see Ethan and Kate so happy. It also worked out well for us, since we were able to see so many family members and friends one last time before fleeing the country. Thanks, Ethan and Kate for making that possible for us!
Early (4:30 a.m.!) the morning after the wedding we flew to Seattle via Cincinnati. Twice. Despite the delays we had a great time at Ray’s house -- thanks for the delicious soups! We had a relaxing week spending time with Ryan’s family and friends. Though thwarted on the way to the ice caves, we managed to salvage the day with a visit to the Redhook Brewery - sorry T.J. T-ball, Gordito’s, Wii, a visit to the Reynolds clan in Snoqualmie (looove those Mikearitas), and Scattergories (answers read the right way!!), all contributed to a fantastic visit.
Our last fun stop was Truckee/Tahoe to see Christy and Al. That part of the trip was definitely too short… Highlights included Java Sushi (yay for sake bombs!), Yahtzee! (Yes, Al - Ryan DOMINATED), Kayaking over swiss cheese and insanely deep chasms
The scene of the crime...
Amy after a few drinks in Warwick on Lake Tahoe, celebrating (We’re Not) Mothers Day, breakfast at Donner Summit, and white trash tacos.
Next up is the much anticipated trip to Fiji (or is it Fuji?) We leave from LAX in a few hours (not soon enough!) and arrive on Thursday morning. We’re really looking forward to the day we don’t exist (otherwise known as Person of Vision - so sorry to miss it!)
We’ll update the blog again once we reach New Zealand. In the meantime, take care - we’ll miss you (though not too much!) Seriously, we want to thank everyone we imposed ourselves on during our bum days in the States. We love you guys.
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tina
non-member comment
bon voyage!
I am so sorry that I missed talking to you before you left. I hope your trip is the most amazing experience! I am so excited about this blog so that I can keep up with your journeys. I hope you know that I am green with envy...you are in Fiji as I type this and I am exhausted from work! Not fair! Take care and keep in touch. Love you both, tina